(VIDEOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

Iron Dome batteries were placed throughout the north on Wednesday and not a moment too soon, as Red Alert Sirens sounded in and around the Golan shortly after midnight. Residents reported hearing explosions of unusual magnitude but no reports of the ammunition landing in Israel.

The IDF says Iranian forces based in neighboring Syria fired about 20 projectiles at Israeli positions in the Golan Heights.

It says Israeli defense systems intercepted “some” of the incoming rockets and damage on the Israeli side was minimal. There were no Israeli casualties.

מג’דל שמס: כך נשמעו לפני זמן קצר האזעקות ביישוב @alonbd pic.twitter.com/0IbkErlBFO

— חדשות עשר (@news10) May 9, 2018

Footage allegedly taken near Al-Baath City in #Quneitra shows #Syria regime rocket launchers retaliating to reported #Israel strikes. pic.twitter.com/HUUXkile8s

— Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) May 9, 2018

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus says Israel views the incident “with severity” and has responded.

A number of rockets were intercepted by the IDF’s Iron Dome aerial defense system. No injuries were reported. The IDF views this event with great severity and remains prepared for a wide variety of scenarios

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 9, 2018

BREAKING: Video allegedly shows projectiles launched from Syria toward Israeli targets as sirens sound in Golan Heights. pic.twitter.com/iF27JkQZHA

— Josh Caplan (@joshdcaplan) May 9, 2018

Reportedly, this video shows IRGC rockets fired from #Syria against Israeli targets. #Iran #Israel pic.twitter.com/uHDLEDuYMf

— Muhanad Seloom (@Dr_Seloom) May 9, 2018

The sirens went off hours after another Israeli attack in Syria was reported, this time by using artillery fire. Arab media outlets are stating that Israel attacked forces loyal to Assad in the city of Beth, but that no injuries were reported.

It was also just one day after the IDF instructed residents to open bomb shelters across the Golan Heights, ordered a limited number of reservists to be called up, and began beefing up its defenses against what they perceive as an imminent Iranian threat about to come from Syria.

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot personally toured Israel’s north to oversee the preparations on Wednesday. The IDF placed itself on an official alert and spread Iron Dome batteries across the north in order to give a fast anti-missile response should there be any attempt to fire missiles at Israel.

על רקע זיהויים חריגים בקרב כוחות אירנים בסוריה, הוחלט לחדד את הנחיות ההתגוננות במרחב רמת הגולן ולהנחות על פתיחת מקלטים.
יש להישמע להוראות שיימסרו ככל שיידרש.
הושלמה פריסת יכולות ההגנה וקיימת מוכנות גבוהה של כוחותנו. אנו ערוכים למגוון תרחישים. כל פעולה נגד ישראל תענה בתגובה חריפה pic.twitter.com/ijx05iEVmV

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) May 8, 2018

The IDF had been preparing for a possible retaliation by the Iranian National Guard following the IDF’s successful air raid in Syria on Tuesday night, which destroyed warehouses filled with Iranian military equipment and missiles ready to be fired at Israel.

Syria has confirmed that 15 people were killed and warehouses were destroyed.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)