Israeli drone strikes vehicle on Damascus-Beirut highway, killing occupant

Damascus: A weaponised Israeli drone struck a vehicle on the Damascus-Beirut highway in the countryside of the Syrian capital Damascus on Saturday, killing the individual inside, a War Monitor reported.

The incident happened near the town of Zabadani, causing columns of smoke to rise from the scene, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

While no official comments were made yet, the pro-government Sham FM radio said a vehicle exploded on the Damascus-Beirut highway near the Zarzar Lake junction and was engulfed in flames, Xinhua news agency reported.

It added that the explosion also ignited nearby grasslands, but no information has been provided regarding the cause of the incident.

On Friday evening, Israeli air strikes also targeted the Mataba Crossing area, where Syrian government forces are nominally present. This crossing is known to be used by the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah for transporting trucks and personnel between Lebanon and Syria, according to the Britain-based watchdog group.

One of the strikes targeted a convoy of trucks, while another hit a farm in the Qusayr countryside in Homs province, an area under the control of Hezbollah, the Observatory added.

Some trucks were set ablaze in the attacks, but there have been no reports of casualties so far.

The attacks highlight the volatile situation in the region as a result of the growing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.