Bashar Assad’s government makes a new attempt to divert its public’s attention towards Israel:

Deadly clashes at Syrian border on Mideast war anniversary

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 usual, the UN is missing the point, likely on purpose. Syria is orchestrating these provocations to distract its public from Assad’s murderous regime, which has killed over 100 people in the last couple days.