Israel launches air strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria kill six
- The Syrian official news agency reported explosions in downtown Masyaf
- The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack killed six foreign paramilitaries
- Israel has previously admitted to carrying out dozens of airstrikes in Syria
Israel has launched air strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria killing six.
Israeli planes would fly very low over parts of Lebanon early Friday, intimidating residents on Christmas Eve, and some said they saw missiles in the skies over Beirut.
Minutes later, an official Syrian news agency reported explosions in Syria’s downtown Masyaf.
Other Syrian media reported that Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli attack near the city in Hama province.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which supports the country’s opposition, said the strikes hit Iranian-backed militias and killed at least six foreign paramilitaries.
Israel has launched air strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria killing six. Pictured: Israeli Air Force F-35
Israel launched an ‘attack by directing a barrage of rockets’ from the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli towards the Masyaf region, according to the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
They said Syria’s air defenses were going against enemy missiles and inflicted most of them.
Israeli jets regularly attack Lebanese airspace and are often hit inside Syria from the Lebanese region.
But Christmas Eve flights were higher than usual, frightening Beirut residents who have experienced multiple emergencies in the past year, including the catastrophic August 4 explosion at the local port which killed more than 200 people and destroyed parts of the capital.
That explosion was caused by a spillage of a stock of ammonium nitrates that was improperly stored at the facility.
There was no immediate word from Israel on Friday flights and allegations of attacks on Syria.
In the past few years, Israel has admitted to carrying out dozens of airstrikes in Syria, most of them targeting suspicious Iranian militants believed to be linked to Hezbollah.
In the past few months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to set up production facilities to produce precision-guided missiles.
Masyaf is an important military area for the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad that includes a military academy and a scientific research center.
Israel has hit targets there several times in the past.