Syria's chief of staff told the armed forces this afternoon to be alert to repel any possible Israeli "aggression".
The official state news agency said Lieut Gen Hasan Turkmani in a speech urged "fighters to keep working day and night and stay at maximum readiness and be alert to repel any possible aggression of [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon's government."
He said Israel, which attacked a target near Damascus this month, was trying to export its domestic crises by harassing Syria.