An Israeli air force F-15 fighter jet flies during an exhibition as part of the graduation ceremony of air force pilots at Hatzerim air base in southern Israel. (photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
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The Syrian air defense system is dealing with hostile targets over Damascus, the official Syrian news agency SANA reported. Explosions were also reported in the skies of the Syrian capital.
Syrian air defense units fired on enemy targets above Damascus and destroyed several, state news agency SANA said late on Friday.
It was not immediately clear if the targets were missiles or planes. Video footage showed explosions above the city.
תיעוד | דיווח בסוריה: חיל האוויר הישראלי תקף משאיות נשק ומטרות איראניות.. לדיווח המלא…@MaarivOnline https://t.co/9XbVqbaO5b#سوريا #سلاح_الجو_الإسرائيلي #دمشق #ميليشيات_إيرانية pic.twitter.com/lsj8rFBHqz
— Yasser Okbi (@okbi7b) January 11, 2019
Sources in the Syrian opposition reported that the Israeli Air Force attacked the bases of Iranian militias and Assad’s regime forces southwest of Damascus.
According to reports in Syria and Lebanon, the attack was carried out over the air space in southern Lebanon. The official Syrian news agency also noted that the air defense system was dealing with hostile targets over Damascus, and had toppled some of them.
In other reports, it was claimed that the attacks were directed at the military airport Al-Maza and the Dariyah Military Hospital, which serves as a weapons depot for the 555th Battalion and the 4th Division west of Damascus. According to Arab reports, Israeli naval vessels were off the southern Lebanese coast during the attack.
Syrian military reports said that the attack began from the skies of Lebanon around 11:30 pm. A Syrian military source said that eight of the missiles fired were intercepted, and that only damage was caused to a weapons depot located at the international airport in Damascus.
The Syrian Center for Human Rights reported that Israeli planes carried out the attack from Lebanon. The attack began at 11:15 pm according to the Syrian human rights group Al-Merced.
According to a report in Lebanon, Israeli Air Force planes circled low in the southern part of the country and there were “sonic booms” over Tyre.
Opposition sources said that not only were the Amelah warehouse attacked, but also two planes parked at an airport. It is unclear if they were Iranian vessels.
A source at the Syrian aviation ministry said that the aircraft movement was not harmed by the Israeli attack, and that the airport continues to function normally.
“On the outskirts of Damascus, the targets of the attack were reportedly weapons removed from an Iranian cargo plane, the Hercules C-130, which are usually parked in the area opposite the cargo terminals at Damascus International Airport.” Syrian aviation ministry spokesman said.
The Syrian human rights agency Al-Merced confirms opposition reports, that that the attack was directed at Hezbollah’s Amelah warehouses at the airport in the Damascus and in the al-Kissawa area.
And Syrian military confirmed Syrian Human rights agency reports, that the attack started at 11:15 pm, at which time Israeli warplanes from the Galilee region attacked the Damascus International Airport
Israel has mounted attacks in Syria as part of its effort to counter the influence carved out there by Iran, which has supported President Bashar al-Assad in the war that erupted in 2011.
The last Israeli attack reported by Syrian state media was on Dec. 25, when a missile attack wounded three Syrian soldiers.
A senior Israeli official said in September Israel had carried out more than 200 attacks against Iranian targets in Syria in the last two years.
Iranian and Iran-backed groups including Lebanon’s Hezbollah have deployed into Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad’s government during the war.
#BREAKING: #Israel Air Force carried-out an airstrike against #Syria Arab Army & #IRGC targets in south of #Damascus + International airport. Similar to the previous strikes, #IAF‘s F-16Is were involved which launched Delilah cruise missiles at 6,000ft over #Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/kc7AliQaBQ
— Babak Taghvaee (@BabakTaghvaee) January 11, 2019
Reuters contributed to this report.
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