A suicide bombing by the Nusra Front has killed dozens and wounded more in the Syrian town of Hadar, on the border with Israel. The Druze town of Hadar is aligned with the Syrian government, and so it has come under intense attacks by the al-Qaida-linked group fighting against Assad's government. Israel has issued a warning that it may intervene militarily to defend the village. An unusual move as Syria and Israel are bitter enemies. CGTN's Alaa Ebrahim has more from Hadar, Syria.

 

The scene here in Hadar town in the far southwestern corner of Syria might at first glance appear normal. But the town -on the frontier between Syria and Israel since 1967 - is seeing new conflict.

 

ABDULRAHIM SALEH HADAR RESIDENT "It was Nusra front they attacked from the east and from the south, this is the fifth time they attacked us and we managed to fend them off. They lost hundreds of fighters attacking us."

 

The town's population is mainly from the Druze religious minority, targeted by the radical groups that control the neighboring towns from the north and south. Locals have signed up to fight alongside the Syrian army to protect their little town which has been attacked several times since 2012. The last of which on Friday, in a series of car bombs and a ground offensive from three different directions in an attempt to take the last few kilometers the government still controlled along the border with Israel.

 

AMMAR SAIEDEEN HADAR RESIDENT "This was my shop and it is ruined now, we lost many young men in the attack on Friday but we fought them. Us, the locals along with the army we fought them off."

 

The town's somewhat vulnerable location is a challenge for the local defenders and military garrison. It's situated in a valley with rebels lurking in the hills. The Golan Heights mountaintops are dotted with Israeli posts that oversee the whole area.

 

ALAA EBRAHIM HADAR, SYRIA "The battlefield here is very complex here in Al-Qunaitera, For starters the Syrian army can only move a limited number of units as part of disengagement deal that ended the 1973 war. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2011 rebels were able to control large areas of this province because the army couldn't bring reinforcements. The army then started resorting to arming locals and creating militia groups. The government only control 5 km of the front-line with Israel and Friday's attack seems it was an attempt to take all of it."

 

Syrian officials say they suspect Israel is helping the rebels. They say the rebels want to create a buffer zone and distance the influence of Syria's allies like Iran and Hezbollah. But Israel denies any such claims.

 

COL. BASEL ASAD SYRIAN ARMY "The attack was very intense but our response was even more forceful and they suffered substantial losses and they reported it. Militants and Israel have prepared for this assault for three months and we thwarted it in two hours."

 

Meanwhile, these soldiers stand guard at the crossroads of what is not just the Syrian war but also regional power plays. They hope that the small town, though surrounded from three directions will fight another day and never wave a white flag. Alaa Ebrahim CGTN Hadar, Syria.