Israel strikes hit near Damascus: Syrian state media

DAMASCUS: Israeli carried out air strikes near Damascus early Wednesday, wounding a Syrian soldier, state news agency SANA said.

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

Explosions were heard in the Syrian capital early Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported.

“At around 01:05 am (2205 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights targeting several positions southwest of Damascus,” SANA cited a military source as saying.

The source did not provide details on the targets and said the strikes “severely wounded” a soldier and caused material damage.

Syria’s air defense intercepted some of the Israeli missiles, the source added.

While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch foe Iran to extend its footprint there.