Syria Says Two Soldiers Injured in Israeli Missile Attack

Arab World

October 31st, 8:34am

Damascus, London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Smog arise after the Israeli bombing of Damascus countryside (AP)

Syria's air defenses responded Saturday to Israeli missiles fired toward Damascus suburbs, injuring two soldiers, the official Sana News Agency reported. "The Israeli enemy fired a salvo of surface-to-surface missiles from northern occupied Palestine targeting positions near Damascus," SANA said, quoting an unnamed military official. "Our anti-aircraft defenses were activated and were able to hit some of the enemy missiles," the source said, adding that the attack wounded two soldiers and caused other damages. AFP correspondents in Damascus re[ported multiple explosions around midday, noting that it is rare for Israel to target Syrian sites during daytime. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the targeted area hosts weapons and ammunition warehouses that belong to Iranian-backed militias. Over the past years, Israel has launched dozens of raids in Syria against the Syrian army, Iranian, and Lebanese Hezbollah targets. Israel rarely confirms the strikes in Syria, but it reiterates that it will continue to confront "Iran's attempts" to establish its military presence there. Last week, Israeli jets bombed Hezbollah-controlled areas in the Quneitra countryside, causing material damage, days after Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi to discuss the Iranian presence in Syria. Bennett hailed the meeting with Putin, describing it as in-depth, adding that "Russia is a very important player in our region, a kind of neighbor for us in the north." The Prime Minister also said that Putin was attentive to the security needs of Israel, and they both discussed the situation in Syria and reached good and stable agreements. Political sources in Tel Aviv said that the new understandings reached between Bennett and Putin include resolving the dispute over the Israeli raids on Iranian sites established by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps and its militias. Russia had accused Israel of "carrying out unnecessary raids." Meanwhile, SOHR reported that Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets near the Qir al-Nafl hills west of Quneitra. The leaflets warned the regime forces against dealing with the Lebanese Hezbollah, saying that "Hajj Hachem" works for Hezbollah in Golan and Daraa. It warned that Hezbollah is using the Syrian army for personal gains. The publication cautioned the regime forces against assisting Hachem, saying this cooperation only brought destruction to Syrians, adding: "you are responsible for your actions, and Hezbollah is responsible for your suffering."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3276766/syria-says-two-soldiers-injured-israeli-missile-attack