ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Israeli airstrike on Syria’s western coastal city of Latakia on Thursday injured two civilians, state media reported, with regional tensions high against the backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war and increased operations in Lebanon.
“At around 2:50 am today, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, targeting one of the points near the southwestern entrance to the city of Latakia,” Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said, citing a military source.
Two civilians were injured and material damage was incurred in the strike, according to SANA.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said that the strikes targeted an ammunition depot of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group in the city.
“A number of houses and cars sustained significant material damage, and the raid caused great panic among civilians,” the Observatory said.
Israel has recently intensified its strikes in Syria, targeting warehouses of the Syrian army and Iran-backed militia positions.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria throughout its over a decade-long civil war, often claiming to target pro-Iran militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah group which supports the Syrian army.
The strikes have increased since October 7 of last year, when Palestinian Hamas militants launched an unprecedented, large-scale attack on Israeli territory that has prompted significant retaliation.
Israel rarely confirms strikes attributed to it in Syria but has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate its arch-rival Iran gaining a foothold there.
On October 3, the Observatory reported that Israeli drone strikes in Latakia near the Russian airbase of Hmeimim targeted an ammunition depot.
Israel has carried out 113 strikes on Syrian territory since the beginning of the year, killing 257 combatants and injuring 181 more, according to data from the Observatory.
“At around 2:50 am today, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, targeting one of the points near the southwestern entrance to the city of Latakia,” Syria’s state-run SANA news agency said, citing a military source.
Two civilians were injured and material damage was incurred in the strike, according to SANA.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said that the strikes targeted an ammunition depot of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group in the city.
“A number of houses and cars sustained significant material damage, and the raid caused great panic among civilians,” the Observatory said.
Israel has recently intensified its strikes in Syria, targeting warehouses of the Syrian army and Iran-backed militia positions.
Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria throughout its over a decade-long civil war, often claiming to target pro-Iran militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah group which supports the Syrian army.
The strikes have increased since October 7 of last year, when Palestinian Hamas militants launched an unprecedented, large-scale attack on Israeli territory that has prompted significant retaliation.
Israel rarely confirms strikes attributed to it in Syria but has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate its arch-rival Iran gaining a foothold there.
On October 3, the Observatory reported that Israeli drone strikes in Latakia near the Russian airbase of Hmeimim targeted an ammunition depot.
Israel has carried out 113 strikes on Syrian territory since the beginning of the year, killing 257 combatants and injuring 181 more, according to data from the Observatory.
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