Israel attacks dozens of military targets in Syria

Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90 photo)

Israeli fighter jets recently attacked dozens of military targets in Syria belonging to Iran and the Syrian army.

The attack early this morning was in response to rockets fired from Syria at northern Israel early yesterday morning, the Israel Defence Forces said in a statement.

The four rockets targeting Israel were believed to be fired by Iran or on its orders. They were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system.

In its retaliatory strikes, Israel hit military bases and weapons warehouses in Syrian territory belonging to the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as several Syrian air defence batteries fired during the Israeli air strikes, the IDF said.

“We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the actions that take place in Syrian territory and warn them against allowing further attacks against Israel. We will continue operating firmly and for as long as necessary against the Iranian entrenchment in Syria,” the IDF said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 11 people killed in the retaliatory strikes, including seven believed to be Iranian.

SANA, the Syrian Arab News Agency, reported that two civilians were killed when an Israeli missile hit a private home in a town located outside of Damascus.

“I have made it clear that whoever hurts us – we will hurt him. This is what we did overnight vis-à-vis military targets of the Iranian Al Quds force and Syrian military targets in Syria after a barrage of rockets were launched at Israel. We will continue to vigorously maintain the security of Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement.