BEIRUT – Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles near the capitalDamascus on Tuesday, local state media reported, while Israel said it wasprotecting itself from anti-aircraft fire.
The official Syrian news agency SANA said air defences “intercepted hostilemissiles launched by the Israeli warplanes” from over Lebanese territories,citing a military source.
It added that the majority of them were downed before reaching theirtargets near the capital Damascus. Three soldiers were injured and anammunition depot damaged.
Israel has previously carried out several bombings in Syria against what itsays are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries toHezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese group, both enemies of the Jewishstate.
Many of them have been in the area south of Damascus.
An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on reports of a strikein Syria when contacted by AFP.
But it added in a statement: “An aerial defence system went off against ananti-aircraft missile launched from Syria. No damage or injuries werereported.”
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor alsoreported “an Israeli raid”.
“Missiles fired from Israeli planes targeted… arms depots southwest andsouth of Damascus that belong to Hezbollah or Iranian forces,” said RamiAbdel Rahman.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to let Tehran — asupporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — from entrenching itselfmilitarily in the war-torn country.
Experts say Israel is to be greatly affected by US President Donald Trump’sannouncement of a withdrawal of American forces from Syria, as it wouldleave the area open to Iran and its partners to develop their militarycapacity.
There have been warnings from Israel and others that Iran is seeking toform a “land bridge” across to the Mediterranean, and some analysts havesaid that the US withdrawal could help that effort.
Yet Israeli officials, who have previously applauded Trump’s policy in theMiddle East, have stressed that it has long managed that front alone.
If confirmed, Tuesday’s reported strike would be the first by Israel sincethe US withdrawal was announced.
At the end of November Syria said its air defences had targeted and downeda number of “hostile targets” over the Kisweh area south of Damascus. -APP/AFP
