Israel and Syria exchange fire near Homs, Arab media reports
Arab media reports that Jerusalem attacked in Syria and that Damascus has responded in retaliation.
By UDI SHAHAMUpdated: NOVEMBER 2, 2017 10:11Israeli f-16 fighter jet(photo credit: REUTERS)
Israel's air force attacked a weapons depot situated in rural areas around Hisya, south of the Syrian city of Homs, Arab media reported Wednesday night.Several reports claimed that the Syrian military launched a surface-to-air missile against Israeli jets from its 72nd Divison Base but did not hit them.A commander in a military alliance fighting in support of the Syrian government told Reuters that the IAF struck a copper factory south of Homs, and did not provide details regarding any casualties.Channel 10 reported that the aircraft were not hit and returned safely to base.This is the third strike in Syria attributed to Israel in recent weeks.Two weeks ago, the IAF attacked and destroyed a Syrian SA-5 anti-aircraft battery east of Damascus after it fired a surface-to-air missile at Israeli jets.The SA-5 missile battery, which was stationed some 50 kilometers east of the Syrian capital, fired at Israeli jets that were on a routine aerial reconnaissance flight in Lebanese airspace.Five days later, the IDF hit three Syrian regime artillery positions following five projectiles that were launched towards Israel earlier that morning.Three of the five projectiles landed in open territory in Israel’s northern Golan Heights, causing no damage or injuries.
After the mid-October attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented: “Our policy is clear: anyone who tries to harm us will be hit. Today they tried to hit our planes, which is unacceptable to us.”Netanyahu said the IAF acted with “precision and speed,” and “destroyed what needed to be destroyed. We will continue to act as is needed to protect Israel’s security.”Anna Ahronheim and Reuters contributed to this report.