Israel launched pre-dawn airstrikes near the Syrian capital on Tuesday at a time of heightened regional tensions over the Gaza war, according to Syria’s official news agency SANA, citing a military source. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, reported that Israel targeted a military position, also housing members of Hezbollah, near the town of Kanaker.
Around 4:35 AM local time (0135 GMT), SANA detailed that “the Israeli enemy carried out airstrikes from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting several sites in the Damascus countryside.” The strikes, as per an unnamed military source, resulted in only “material damage,” with the target left unspecified.
Israel typically refrains from commenting on specific airstrikes in Syria, reiterating its stance against allowing its arch-foe Iran, a supporter of President Bashar al-Assad’s government, to expand its presence in the region.
These reported Israeli strikes mark the first of the year in Syria, occurring as Israel intensifies its actions following the conflict with the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Throughout more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched numerous airstrikes, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Syrian army positions.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
