Israeli Troops Kill 25 at Syrian Border

CNN reports

Golan Heights (CNN) -- Israeli troops fired on protesters trying to cross the fortified border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights on Sunday, with Syrian authorities reporting more than a dozen dead and hundreds wounded.

The protests came on the anniversary of the 1967 Middle East War, when Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately confirm any casualties, though a spokeswoman said that Israeli troops used tear gas and live ammunition on members of an "angered mob."

"We warned them verbally (and) with warning shots into the air," Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich told CNN. "And when these two options failed, we had to open fire selectively into the area, and this actually stopped those Syrians from reaching the Israeli-Syrian fence."

The Syrian state news agency said 25 people were killed and more than 350 wounded in the protests, which continued past nightfall. Medics could be seen carrying the wounded to vehicles and driving them away from the border.

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence and urged restraint.

"The events of today and of 15 May on the Golan put the long-held cease-fire in jeopardy. The Secretary-General calls for maximum restraint on all sides and strict observance of international humanitarian law to ensure protection of civilians," he said.

As many as 500 people took part in the demonstration, holding mid-day prayers on the Syrian side of the border, then crouching down behind ramparts that Israel constructed in response to similar demonstrations three weeks ago. The number later dropped to about 50, with protesters waving Palestinian and Syrian flags.