Israel strikes target near Damascus – media
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck a building used by Syrian security forces outside Damascus, Reuters reported on Thursday evening, citing a security source aligned with the Syrian government.
The Syrian state-run SANA news agency cited its own security source as saying that eight soldiers had been killed. It reported “material damage” on the ground, without specifying the target. According to SANA, the missiles were launched from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The Israeli authorities have not yet commented on the matter. West Jerusalem rarely acknowledges strikes outside of its territory.
The reported attack took place amid continuing tensions between Israel and Iran, as well as Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, which is on track to enter its seventh month next week. Israel has accused Iran of arming and guiding Hamas and pro-Palestinian militias based in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. Tehran, however, claims that Hamas and aligned groups act independently.
Israel is accused of bombing an Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus on April 1, killing several military officers, including two generals with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
A little over a week later, Iran responded with a barrage of drones and missiles launched at Israel. According to the IDF, the majority of the projectiles were intercepted, and the attack caused no fatalities.
