ERBIL, Kurdistan - Israeli missiles struck several targets around the Syrian capital early on Thursday, the country’s defense ministry said, adding that some of the projectiles were intercepted. A war monitor later added that four pro-Iranian fighters were killed.
“At approximately 00:30 am, the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Palestinian territories, targeting some points in the vicinity of the city of Damascus,” a statement by the ministry said.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted the vicinity of Damascus airport, killing four pro-Iranian fighters.
Thursday’s attack is the third in the past week. Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria throughout its 11-year civil war, often claiming to target Iran-affiliated militias, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah group which supports the Syrian army.
Neither the defense ministry nor Syrian state media revealed further details regarding the target of the latest strikes.
On Monday, missiles stuck areas outside Damascus, targeting Syrian military positions. An officer was killed and three soldiers were injured, according to SOHR.
Israel rarely comments on airstrikes attributed to it in Syria but it has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate an increase in Iranian presence.
"Iran strongly condemns the attempts of the Zionist regime and their aggression on the territorial integrity of Syria," he said, blaming Jerusalem for attempting to "destabilize and increase the problems of the people who are returning to their cities and homes in Syria along with the sanctions imposed against the Syrians,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in July during a trip to Damascus.
