BEIRUT (AP) — Israeli warplanes flying over Lebanon fired missiles toward areas near Damascus early on Monday, the Syrian military said, claiming the country’s air defenses shot most of them down.
The military said in a statement, which was carried by state media, that some of the missiles that made it to the target near the Syrian capital caused material damage but did not inflict any casualties.
According to the statement, the attack took place around dawn. The Syrian military gave no further details about the attack or what it targeted specifically. Syrian state TV said the attacks occurred near Damascus.
Israel did not comment on the Syrian report. In the past, Israel has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes over the years, most aimed at alleged Iranian weapons shipments believed to be bound for Hezbollah. In recent months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to establish production facilities to make precision guided missiles.
Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah forces in Syria are fighting alongside Syrian government forces. Israel has also in the past used Lebanon’s airspace to launch attacks on Syria.
Last week, an Israeli airstrike targeted Iranian and Iran-backed fighters in the desert near the historic central Syrian town of Palmyra. A Syrian opposition war monitoring group said the strike killed nine fighters, including six who were not Syrians.
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Image: Israeli Air Force F-16 war planes fly in formation over the Mediterranean Sea as part of celebrations for Israel’s Independence Day, marking the 65th anniversary of the creation of the state, April 16, 2013. (REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File)
