MOSCOW – Syria will counter all the attacks by the Israeli forces on itssovereign territory and will not hesitate to strike Israeli militarytargets as it has a right for self-defense, Syrian Ambassador to China ImadMoustapha told Sputnik on Friday in light of recent air strikes by theIsraelis in Syria.

Early on Thursday, the Israeli Air Force hit dozens of what it calledIranian military targets in Syria after the Iranian forces allegedly fired20 rockets at positions of the Israeli Defense Forces in Golan Heights.Israel added that the aircraft also targeted Syrian anti-aircraft batteriesthat fired at them during the overnight raid.

“Syria will continue to strengthen its air defenses, attempt to interjectand down every missile fired by Israel, and target any Israeli air forceasset that infringes on Syrian national airspace. Also, it will nothesitate to launch its own retaliatory attacks onto Israeli militarypositions in accordance with its undisputed right of self-defense andholding the aggressor accountable,” Moustapha said.

The diplomat denied Israel’s statements that the attacks were not directedagainst the armed forces of Syria.”Israel’s claim that it had targeted Iranian assets in Syria has nosubstance. The Israeli claim was made to portray its attacks on Syria as anattempt to contain Iran, thus winning the approval of the US and theSaudis,” Moustapha explained.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the recentmilitary activities of his country against targets in Syria were notdirected against the armed forces of Syria and hit them only because theyhad attacked the Israeli aircraft.