Syrian air defenses were activated in response to an alleged Israeli missile barrage targeting the vicinity of the capital Damascus, state media said early on Monday citing a military source. This is the first alleged Israeli airstrike reported in Syria this year.
The source was quoted as saying that the interception resulted in some material damage.
The missiles were launched from the direction of Riyaq, a Lebanese town east of Beirut, according to the Syrian SANA news agency.
According to the opposition-affiliated Halab Today TV, the strikes targeted sites belonging to the Assad regime near Al-Qutayfah, northeast of Damascus, causing injuries and material damage.
A series of cargo flights on airlines used to transport Iranian weapons traveled between Iran and Syria in recent weeks, according to independent flight trackers.
The strike comes a week after Syrian and Russian military jets jointly patrolled the airspace along Syria's borders, including along the Golan Heights.
Last month, an alleged Israeli airstrike targeted Latakia's commercial port in northwestern Syria, in what was the third alleged airstrike in December.
Earlier this month, Arabic media sources, including Al-Hurra and Al-Hadath, claimed Israeli sources had told them that Israeli special forces had recently carried out sensitive operations in Syrian territory to prevent any threat from Hezbollah or other Iranian-backed forces in the country. According to the Al-Hadath report, three operations were carried out in the depths of Syrian territory since the beginning of 2022.
The Al-Hadath report added that the IDF is on alert along the Lebanese and Syrian borders due to concerns of attacks or rocket launches. Additionally, the report claimed that recent Syrian-Russian air patrols were meant to limit Israel's freedom of operation in Syria.
According to Al-Hurra, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force's attempt to position itself along the border with Israel has become more complex.
Israel's alleged airstrikes came hours after a Houthi ballistic missile targeting Abu Dhabi was intercepted by the United Arab Emirates' air defenses.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is currently in the UAE conducting an official visit. The president was updated about the incident and he and his entourage are safe, as the visit is expected to continue as planned.