Israeli air attacks kill 11 in Syria: Monitoring group

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Israeli air strikes that hit several targets in Syria on Monday killed at least 11 pro-government fighters, including two Syrians, a monitor group has claimed.

Israel’s military reported their missiles had targeted a number of Iranian installations in Syria on early Monday.

“Israeli strikes targeting Iranian and Syrian military positions near and south of Damascus killed at least 11 fighters including two Syrians,” added the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief, Rami Abdel Rahman.

The attack was the deadliest Israeli strikes in the war-torn country since May 2018, the monitor group stated.

Syrian state TV quoted government military sources as saying Israel launched an “intense attack through consecutive waves of guided missiles.” The source also reportedly claimed that Syrian air defenses intercepted most of the “hostile targets.”

Russian Interfax news agency alleged that the Syrian air defense system destroyed over 30 cruise missiles and guided bombs during the Israeli operation.

The targets included weapons depots belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iranian fighters, the Syrian monitor group continued.

The air strikes and ground-to-ground missiles hit several targets around the capital, including near the Damascus Airport and the Thaala military airport to the south.

Israel, over the past years, has repeatedly launched air strikes and missiles into Syria, stating it targets Iranian positions and Shia militia group bases backed by Tehran.

“We have a permanent policy, to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to hurt us,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously said.

Editing by Nadia Riva