ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A suspected Israeli attack over Damascus on Monday killed two civilians and wounded six others, as well as causing material damage to facilities, Syrian state media reported, citing a military source.
The source added that Syrian air defense systems engaged with some of the projectile, shooting down “most of the Israeli missiles,” SANA said.
There has been no comment by Israel regarding the incident.
The attack comes as Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is seeking to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, holding multiple meetings and phone calls with European powers.
Russia has a strong military presence in Israel’s northern neighbor Syria where Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia controls the Syrian airspace and has allowed Israel to carry out strikes targeting Iranian positions. An escalation in the war in Ukraine may force Israel into condemning Russia, which would then make it difficult to continue striking Syria.
Israel frequently carries out strikes in Syria, targeting Iran-affiliated militias, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah group which supports the Syrian army, in what it says is an effort to prevent them from securing further ground along its borders.
Hezbollah is fighting on the side of Assad’s army in the war, which started after a military crackdown on Arab Spring-inspired protests in 2011 calling for his ousting.
Although Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria over the course of its 10-year civil war, it rarely acknowledges them.
They have, however, said that they target bases belonging to the Iran-backed militias and attack arms shipments believed to be bound for the militias, AP reported.
Updated on March 9 with the number of wounded.
