DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel carried out an airstrike on the Syrian capital Damascus and its southern suburbs late Friday, in the first such attack in more than a month, state media reported. There were no casualties in the strikes.
The Syrian army later said several Israeli missiles were fired at some military positions near Damascus. It said Syrian air defenses shot down most of the missiles, adding that there were only material losses.
Residents of the capital said they had heard at least three explosions before.
Syrian state television said Syrian air defenses were responding to “an Israeli aggression in the airspace of Damascus and southern areas”.
The pro-government Sham FM radio station said the attacks were close to Damascus International Airport south of the capital.
Friday’s strikes were the first since September 17, when an Israeli attack on Damascus International Airport and nearby military posts south of the Syrian capital killed five soldiers. That attack came days after an Israeli attack on the main airport in the northern city of Aleppo.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes against targets in government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.
However, Israel has acknowledged that it is targeting bases of Iran-affiliated militant groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.
The Israeli attacks come amid a wider shadow war between the country and Iran. The attacks on the airports in Damascus and Aleppo ignore fears that it was used to divert Iranian weapons into the country.
