Israeli Airstrikes Near Damascus: Syrian Ministry Reports Eight Soldiers Injured
Israeli airstrikes near Damascus have resulted in the injury of eight Syrian soldiers, the Syrian Ministry of Defense announced on Friday, according to reports from Agerpres citing AFP.
The ministry stated that on Thursday evening, "the Israeli enemy launched airstrikes from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting a site near Damascus (...) injuring eight soldiers."
Israel seldom provides commentary on individual strikes but consistently emphasises its refusal to permit Iran, its sworn enemy, to expand its presence in Syria.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which maintains an extensive network of sources in Syria, Israel reportedly targeted a government building in the rural outskirts of Damascus, utilised by the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah since 2014.
Since the onset of the civil war in 2011, the Israeli army has conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria, primarily aimed at military positions and pro-Iranian fighters.
The frequency of strikes has escalated since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas on October 7, marked by an unprecedented deadly attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement against Israel.
Since its commencement in March 2011, the war in Syria has led to over 500,000 fatalities and the displacement of millions.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
