A site in the capital, Damascus, was targeted by a previous Israeli bombing (Reuters)
On Wednesday, Israel bombed an area near Damascus, amid escalating regional tensions since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Sounds of explosions were heard, followed by ambulance sirens.
Syrian state television said, "Our air defenses responded to an Israeli aggression in the vicinity of the capital, Damascus, and shot down most of its missiles."
Media reports spoke of a large explosion heard in the Sayyida Zeinab neighborhood in the Syrian capital, Damascus, and other reports suggested that the Israeli strikes had targeted the sites of pro-Iranian groups in the Damascus countryside.
In response to a question about the raids, the Israeli army said, “We do not comment on foreign media reports.”
Since December, Israeli raids on Syria have witnessed the killing of more than 6 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including a senior intelligence general.
In recent years, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, mostly targeting targets affiliated with Iran and Hezbollah, including weapons and ammunition depots, military shipments, as well as Syrian army sites.
However, these strikes witnessed an intensification after the outbreak of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation launched by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip on the seventh of last October.
Israel rarely comments on specific strikes, but has repeatedly said that it will not allow Iran to establish its military presence in Syria.
Source: Agencies