only on al jazeera america lebanon said israel fired shells into syria, and israel reports several soldiers have been wounded. hello, i'm darren jordan. also on the programme - a new anti-austerity cabinet in athens holds its first meeting. we'll be there live mexico's government says all 43 students who went missing in september are dead. >> east germany's dark past took a tour around the once feared secret police.

>> let's stay with the developing story. israel soldiers has been hit by a rocket fired from southern lebanon. the attack happened in the disputed shebaa farms area. on the border with lebanon. there are reports that it hit farmland close to the border. a confusing picture. let's bring in nicle johnson. she has the latest from beirut. talk us through what you are hearing about the attack. the initial response what have you been hearing. it's a confusing picture at the moment. >> that's right. the most significant thing from the lebanese story that hezbollah claimed responsibility. they came out and said they had no information. in the last 10 minutes they claimed responsibility. they have said that they carried out this attack in retaliation

for the attack in syria, which happened a little over a week ago. this ratchets up the pressure and the tension between israel and lebanon. now, sources on hezbollah media - they are saying that nine tanks have been destroyed and a number of israeli soldiers killed and injured. for formal confirmation it will have to come from the side. from the lebanese side we hear artillery shells are landing in villages in the mountain area close to where all this happened. we are hearing that reconnaissance flights are over the area and some of our contacts are saying that some of those military jets are firing rockets into some areas of

southern lebanon. >> nicole, you athat hezbollah says that they are responsible in response for an israeli attack in syria. for the viewers joining al jazeera now, take us through the sequence of event. what happened in syria that precipitated the event today? >> around about 10 days ago there was a significant attack on hezbollah inside syria. now, israeli never formally claimed responsibility. they never do. it was widely believed that israel carried out the attack. a couple of vehicles with members of hezbollah were hit by either a helicopter fire or drone strike. that was a little confused. in the end six people from hezbollah were killed and one commander from the iranian revolutionary guard. it was a significant hit by israel. the dead included the son of a

man who was killed inside syria in 2008. he was a senior commander in hezbollah, someone considered a military mind of the group. it was a symbolic standed to have taken out his son. along with him, another senior commander killed. the question over the last couple of weeks is how will hezbollah respond to this. many thought at some point that they would have to respond and carry out retaliation. the question had been what type of retaliation. hezbollah would want an attack so big, significant that it could lead to another war with israel. at the moment hezbollah is mired in syria, fighting the war in syria on the same side.

resources are stretched. they needed to retaliate, but in a way that would be commensurate with the attack in cannes art ra. but not so long that it would lead to a full-scale war as such. >> you know you were saying there that the danger the clear and present danger here is that this could escalate into a wide adaptation in hezbollah and israel. how could that play out along the border? >> well that really depends on exactly how large-scale this attack is. we haven't had that confirmed. a number of tanks were destroyed. some recourts that soldiers have been killed. how many have been killed and injured, how significant it is. it's difficulty to sarp how this

could develop. it might be a smaller scale where we get artillery shelling and go back to the usual pattern. neither side in lebanon want to see a war, when there's a war on the borders in syria. >> nicole johnson there in the lebanese capital. for the time being, thank you. let's just guage a response there. the picture confusing. that's for sure. some reports suggest israeli soldiers have been wounded. some may have been killed. we don't know if that's concerned. >> what have you been hearing there in jerusalem. >> well there's little that is coming from the army or the

government. we just got preliminary reports from the army confirming this attack by an antitank missile coming from the farm in lebanon. and the israeli army. we are not hearing confirmation from the army about whether there are casualties a conflicting report some reports are suggesting that four israeli soldiers have been wounded in the attack. and others go as far as saying is number of soldiers were killed in the attack. little coming from the israeli army and we are getting reports that there have been responses from lebanon with mortar shells fired, but what we do know is that there are no casualties no material damage or injuries on the israeli side. all of this happened shortly after reports emerged that the

israeli army was in the area. drilling and digging for a possible tunnel. as you know for the past 10 days the israeli army has been on high alert. often they are hearing or receiving intelligence of suspicious attacks, movement along the border. the army evacuated some of the areas a few times. sometimes closed the roads and asked the residents to stay inside their home. a tense situation in the last days. an attack blamed on israel. it was a major attack killing operatives and a general. since the beginning of the war in syria israel has been accused several times - seven times of carrying out air strike attacks in syria. israel doesn't claim

responsibility. western intelligent sources said the tart of the last attacks on israel which killed hezbollah operatives was a cell sent to fire rocket into israel to send terror operatives into israeli territory, and that's why israel may have commenced that attack. >> overnight, following two rockets launched from syria, landing in open areas and not causing damage we know the israeli army fired on tuesday, mortar shells into territory. that can continue overnight and on wednesday morning a more - more shells were fired by the israeli army into syrian territory. a comment was put out saying this was to defend the israeli people to tell syria that it

was responsible for any attacks coming from its territory, and breaches to israeli sovereignty would not be tolerated or go unpunished. the israeli government never blamed hezbollah yesterday, but some media reports suggested and quoted an unnamed high-ranking israel israelry israelry source saying hezbollah was behind the rockets, and that's why we saw an escalation and israel responding. hezbollah vowed that it would retaliate. this may be a natural response to that attack that happened and has since created much more tensions at that border. >> we have just heard that we are expecting the israeli prime minister binyamin netanyahu to speak shortly. we don't know when that is. if he is going to speak, we are

seeing the political fallout from this. but the danger here i guess, could be that this could escalate into a drawn-out confrontation between hezbollah and israel. that is not something, is it not, that israel has a political appetite for right now. i think so with israel approaching an early election. we know that israel has come out from a long 54 day event in gaza there were a lot of casualties on the israeli side with people killed in that. i don't think there's an appetite. when the border incidents happen israel responded every

time. i can tell you, i don't think there's an interest in hezbollah, they are fighting back and retaliating, knowing from previous event. it may be interested in opening a front are iran trying to support the syrian government to crush the rebels and keep syria stable. roip the ss government make up the access declared enemies of israel. they see that the interest right now is to protect the regime to help it be in control and regain territory. that's how they think they can fight syria, keeping it in the

hands of hezbollah. >> we'll come back a little later in the programme. for now, thank you japan is trying to get i.s.i.l. to free hostage from syria. japan and jordan are coordinating effort to secure kenji goto jogo's release and a captured jordanian. the defence minister said that it was a complex deal involving a release of an iraqi female prisoner and a jordanian fighter pilot. talk us through the female prisoner and remind us why she was held by the jordanian authorities. >> okay. she is a female who attempted suicide bombing, but her suicide

belt failed to det jobbate -- detonate. her husband was kill. it was a major attack leaving at least 50 jordanians kill. she was arrested and since has been in jordanian prison. i.s.i.l. wants her released and they'll release the japanese hostage, but not the jordanian pilot. they will plead on his life. if she is not released they will be killed. the government is in a binding condition where they are going to release the female a major hand in the negotiations with i.s.i.l. now for the release of a japanese held hostage and to keep the life of the jordanian lieu tenant in their hands. an awkward position. >> the second part of this is

the jordanian pilot could be released as part of this deal. remind us about the circumstances, how he was captured and held by i.s.i.l.? >> he's not offered for release. they are saying in return for the release that the japanese hostage, not the jordanian hostage. they wouldn't kill him. the jordanian foreign minister said they are willing to release her, but want to make sure that their hostage is released as well. so this is the binning situation -- binding situation. there was a pilot working with the collision. -- coalition. he was the first pilot captured by i.s.i.l. he's jordanian.

they are doing everything to get him released. even if he is not going to be released, at least they'll keep him alive. >> it's a complex situation. a final thought from you. even though this deal was the japanese man, it's the jordan yaps that hold the power to negotiate with i.s.i.l. how much pressure was the government under to get a deal going? >> well the government is under different pressure. from his family. a big family from southern parts of jordan. everything possible. the other pressure is political. why did we get involved. it was not our wash why was our son - this is - there is a good

social part of society, including members of parliament that have voiced in to the criticism. it is the king's decision attacking i.s.i.l. again. if i.s.i.l. go ahead, that involved jordan deeper in conflict. it's the situation. >> it is a difficult situation for the jordanians. >> in the jordanian capital. >> now. >> now, syrian kurds displaced in turkey after learning kurdish forces recapturing the council. they are not allowed to cross into kobane. the situation is dangerous. we have the latest. carefully stepping outside,

watched on by those that fought for freedom. with kurdish forces in control, it's hoped they'll return to the streets. the sign is for peace and victory. for tens of thousands who hoped to return the road ahead is long. >> it was reduced to rubble and blocks destroyed. officials say after four months of battle half the city is gone. syrian regime in turkey - getting home is not easy. thousands came to the border on tuesday. the border is still officially closed turkish security pushed the group back. >> those in the turkish town say they have reason to celebrate. >> many people from our nation and the cities of turkey have come here.

we celebrating. we have come for kobane. we are extremely happy. >> kobane is fully liberated. we are happy, celebrating. all our friends are here. i hope we will be able to go through. >> control is left with u.s. led forces iraqi and kurdish fighters and diplomatic manoeuvring sees turkey letting the kurdish fighters through. it's far from over. it proved damn it can do. >> al jazeera's correspondent is in kobane and sent this update. >> translation: we are now inside the roundabout referred to as the freedom roundabout. this area was the scene of

fighting between islamic state and kurdish peshmerga. reinforced by the syrian army. the international alliance was aiming at i.s.i.l. you see on the right and the left the result. you see the destruction all around, and places where i.s.i.l. fighters were based. kurdish forces flew over the town. this is a centraled eegic victory going from kobane to the west of the city. >> the battle continues to the west. >> russia is hosting talks between groups. the main group is no there, saying that moscow is not an honest broker as it's a back are of president bashar al-assad. a middle east policy advisor joins us in the studio. there's a lot of different

stories and lots to talk about. let's talk about russia brokering talk between the dispirit opposition groups. is russia an honest broker? >> no it's not. it is good that russia is talking about a political solution and good that we get asaad and those around him to talk politics. that's one thing they don't want to do. the majority will not change. the initiative that the russians started needs to be vastly improved. i hope they learn the lessons from what will be a pretty failed effort but we have some members of the opposition there, but a lot of those have been chosen by the bashar al-assad regime itself. at the same time russia is giving credence but there is a lot to lose. a disintegrating state is not of

interest. of course syria again has - or the impact of a syrian war surfaced in a border squirmish between israelis and haez on the southern border with lebanon, armed groups saying it's in response to an israeli attack on its fighters. what do you make on the incident. was it a squirmish or is it a wider escalation. >> the next two hours will tell. the israelis will hit back. other parts of hezbollah may be the suburbs of beirut. i was with the u.n. in 2006. i can't say that we are about to see a similar repeat of that. i believe the israelis were hit hard. a lot depends on what hezbollah

says next. hezbollah was in a bind. if we did, we would drag into a bigger war. it's a risk and playing with fire. it is disputed land considered occupied syria land means that they are drawing in syria. why hezbollah again is gambling with regards to the situation, but the syrian one too. >> thank you for that. we'll come back a bit later. >> european union leaders are threatening sanctions against russia as fighting intensifies in the east. charles stratford travelled from mariupol to the separatist stronghold of donetsk. and sent us this report. >> troops are moving to

rebel-held territory. it's about 40km away. the ukranian government declared a state of emergency in the areas, or a state of alert, right the way across ukraine. the roads became empty the closer we got to the front line. the ukranian military were move tanks. rebel held territory is 5km up the road behind me. ukraine and people here tell us they are upped fire every day. villagers say they can hear the fighting and many left the area concerned for safety. >> they were freed. there is nothing to look forward to. it means it is difficult for us to work for our children. ment scared. they don't know what will happen

this time or the other. peace offering. >> it's obvious that over the last couple of days there has been a worsening much security we are not far from the front line donetsk is behind us we have been stopped by the military. all the while, rebels still are vowing to push forward and take more territory. the rebels stopped to film the checkpoints. we saw destroyed ukranian tanks. fighting in donetsk, tanks carried fighters though the streets russia's government announced a $34 billion plan to help spending. moscow says it's setting up a man for pad loops. rory challands is in moscow.

>> -- for bad loans. >> rory challands is in moscow. >> the burden are the gold price and western sanctions. they have hit the russian economy. so russia is essentially coming up with some plan to deal with this. it's what they have been announcing. budgetary cuts. >> across most mysteries, that happened in 2015 in 2016 and "18 there'll be a cut in each of those years, and on top of all of that cuts made and you can see that the russian government spending - why is it doing this? it is doing this because it needs a way to battle the

banking crisis and state companies, other businesses. we need assistance. to get money. essentially they have run out. that's what the government needs cash for. it is running into a bigger problem. banks going bust. it's a crisis it doesn't want. >> a lot more to come. including the israeli president addressing the nation. we have the latest. they've been close training partners why is sri lanka's government reviewing its relationship with china.

welcome back.

the top stories - hezbollah says it's responsible for an attack on an israeli convoy nearby shebaa farm and is in response to a strike inside syria that killed some members. there are conflicting reports on casualties. some have been injured. >> jordan will release an attempted suicide bomber it is holding on death row if a jordanian pilot is released. i.s.i.l. said it will not release the jordanian pilot. >> kurdish forces recapture the town of kobane from i.s.i.l. fighters. they are not allowed to cross back because it's too dangerous. the battle for sinjar city is far from over. that's the city beneath sinjar mountain where the kurdish forces pushed out