Israeli air force kills 4 IS militants in Syria: army

 JERUSALEM, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli air force killed four Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria after gunfire toward Israeli soldiers in the Golan Heights Sunday morning, according to Israel's military source.

Several mortar shells also fell in the region, the source added.

"In response, a military aircraft shot towards the sources of the fire and killed four who used a heavy machine gun on a truck," a military spokesman said.

This was reportedly the first confrontation between Israeli soldiers and IS militants, as errant fire from Syria has occasionally been spilling over to Israel, usually causing no casualties or damage.

According to Israeli media outlets, The air strikes were retaliation for the 'Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade', an ISIS affiliate, opening fire on an Israeli checkpoint in the Golan Heights, damaging several cars.

Both sides also exchanged mortar fire.

A senior official of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) praised the quick Israeli response: “The response was sharp and swift and intended to send a message that we are in the area and are determined to protect our border. The IDF’s response took place within minutes.” the official said.

Last month, the Israeli Air Force conducted numerous air raids on the Syrian Arab Army's (SAA) positions in the Quneitra governorate. However, today marks the first time Israeli jets have targeted ISIS militants specifically.

Yesterday, local Syrian Islamic rebels announced they would embark on a large-scale offensive from the Golan Heights in a bid to reach the outskirts of Damascus.