Syria claims third Israeli strike in a week

Israel has launched airstrikes on Damascus, Syria in its third attack in the space of one week, Syrian state media reports.

Citing a military source, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the missile assault unfolded in the early hours of Thursday morning, though did not report any casualties in the attack. 

“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,” the source told SANA, adding that Syrian air defenses brought down most of the projectiles and that “losses were limited to material.”

SANA shared footage purporting to show the attack in progress, with a Syrian surface-to-air missile apparently intercepting an incoming munition mid-air and illuminating the night sky.

A similar video captured from another angle circulated on social media, also showing a bright flash over a dimly lit Damascus skyline.

Thursday’s missile strike marks the third attack pinned on Israel by the Syrian authorities since last week. An air raid on Friday also caused “material” damage but no casualties, while strikes launched in broad daylight on Monday afternoon left one Syrian soldier wounded.

Israeli warplanes have repeatedly bombed targets inside Syria over the country’s decade-long struggle against jihadist rebels, with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once acknowledging “hundreds” of strikes over the years. Israel’s military did not confirm any of the reported attacks in recent days, and typically refrains from commenting despite continued allegations by Damascus.