Air defences thwart Israeli targets near Damascus: Syrian Army

Damascus: The Syrian Army on Friday said that air defences in the capital Damascus intercepted Israeli missile attacks in its vicinity before dawn.

At around 2:25 a.m., the Israeli army carried out an aerial attack from the direction of the Israel-occupied Golan Heights, targeting several points in the vicinity of Damascus, Xinhua news agency quoted the army as saying in a statement.

"Our air defences thwarted the aggression's missiles, and most of them were intercepted," it said.

The attack resulted in some material losses, the army added.

Meanwhile, the UK-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Israeli airstrikes hit sites belonging to the Hezbollah militant group in the vicinity ofDamascus.

It added that since the beginning of 2023, it has documented 52 instances of Israeli targeting of Syrian territory.

The strikes resulted in approximately 106 targets being hit, including weapon and ammunition depots, headquarters, centres and vehicles, it added.

Israel has accused Syria of hosting Iranian-backed militia.

Last week, the Jewish nation said forces based in Syria had launched a drone from its territory that had apparently flown through Israeli-controlled airspace and hit a school in Eilat, in Israel’s south.

In recent weeks, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed several missile and drone attacks against Israel and warned further strikes would come.

The Golan Heights are considered occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions.

Israel seized the narrow strip of land from Syria in 1967 during the Six-Day War and annexed the land in 1981.