RTFri, 22 Sep 2017 18:50 UTC
© Amir Cohen / ReutersAn Israeli F-16 fighter jet
Israeli planes have reportedly fired two missiles which hit near Damascus, targeting an ammunition facility belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah, according to a Lebanese TV station citing "informed" sources and various social media reports on pro-Syrian webpages.Israeli forces are reported to have carried out attacks from outside the Syrian border early on Friday, according to the Lebanese Al Mayadeen. It said the strike led to a fire, with no casualties or disruptions at Damascus International Airport reported.
Pictures allegedly showing the moment of the attack have emerged online on Arab and Hebrew-language social media.
According to Israeli media reports, there were three separate strikes.
Meanwhile, footage that reportedly captured Syria's air defense forces responding to the strike was uploaded on Facebook.
The air defense forces are said to have shot down one of the missiles.
An Israeli military spokeswoman refused to comment, saying the military does "not respond to such reports." The Syrian authorities and Hezbollah are yet to confirm the attack.
Earlier this month, Damascus reported an Israeli plane launching several projectiles. The missiles targeted Syrian Army positions near the city of Masyaf in Hama province, killing two servicemen, according to the Syrian general command.
Israeli forces have targeted arms convoys of the Syrian military and Hezbollah, Israel's Lebanon-based adversary, about 100 times over the past five years.
In April, a similar incident occurred when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) hit near Damascus airport, targeting a weapons depot of the Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Although the IDF declined to comment, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz said the incident corresponded "completely with Israel's policy to act to prevent Iran's smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah in Iran."
Comment: Update (Sep. 23): The Arabic-language website of the Russia's state news agency, RT, quoted Syria's Elam al-Harbi news agency as reporting that the army's Russia-made mid-range Buk-M2 system targeted and
shot down an Israeli missile that was fired to hit the Damascus airport.
Eyewitnesses said parts of the intercepted missile are escattered across al-Keswah area in a region near the town of al-Zariqiyeh South of Damascus city.
In the meantime, Israeli media sources and some Syrian social networks reported earelir today that the regions near Damascus international airport were hit by two or three missiles flying from outside the Syrian airspace.
See also:
Israeli warplanes strike Syrian military airport in Damascus
Comment: Update (Sep. 23): The Arabic-language website of the Russia's state news agency, RT, quoted Syria's Elam al-Harbi news agency as reporting that the army's Russia-made mid-range Buk-M2 system targeted and shot down an Israeli missile that was fired to hit the Damascus airport. See also: Israeli warplanes strike Syrian military airport in Damascus