Israel attacks military targets near Damascus, 3 dead – report
On Sunday night, Syrian regime media said its air defenses were activated near the capital.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN, JERUSALEM POST STAFFWhat is believed to be guided missiles are seen in the sky during what is reported to be an attack in Damascus, Syria, January 21, 2019, in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media(photo credit: FACEBOOK DIARY OF A MORTAR SHELL IN DAMASCUS/YOUMIYAT QADIFAT HAWUN FI DAMASHQ/VIA REUTERS)
Three people were allegedly killed in reported Israeli strikes in Syria on Sunday night, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.Israel attacked several targets in the Set Zaynab area near Damascus on Sunday night, the Lebanese newspaper Al Ahbar reported on Monday morning. The area is known for an important Shi'ite tomb where pilgrims from Lebanon, Iraq and Iran congregate as well as an area where Hezbollah and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard members are located.During the strikes local reports indicated several weapons warehouses were hit, causing material damages.Al Ahbar further said that a wave of missiles were allegedly spotted coming from near the Golan Heights and off the Lebanese coast over Sidon.On Sunday night, it was reported that a UAV fell in the area of Aqraba in the outskirts of Damascus with the original target allegedly being an Iranian weapons storage facility.Moreover, another report from Lebanon claimed that Israel was attacking in Syria from the skies of the Lebanese city of Sidon.There were a total of 10 injuries reported, according to Arabic sources.Syrian regime media said its air defenses were activated near Damascus just after 11 p.m. on Sunday. The initial reports said there were missiles and an explosion was heard in Damascus. The last major airstrikes on Damascus were in November when Israel struck Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp targets and air defense in response to rocket fire.Defense Minister Naftali Bennett has said that Syrian could be Iran’s Vietnam, and Israel has demanded Iran not entrench in Syria. In November, Russia released information on Israeli airstrikes in Syria.Pro-Hamas media have claimed that raids against Syria were carried out over Lebanon. Various social media accounts reported explosions around Damascus and said air defense was very active. Several videos were put online showing the alleged track of a missile in the sky. One report even claimed that T-4 airbase was targeted. The alleged airstrikes continue to raise questions about Iran's role in Syria and the reticence of Syrian regime media to fully report on the outcome. This enabled rumors to swirl throughout Monday morning that an IRGC commander of an aerospace or rocket unit had been injured in the attacks.
