CONFLICT

Syria Claims Israel Fired Missiles Near Damascus

The missiles were allegedly fired at 11:15 p.m.

Syria’s state news agency reported that Israeli warplanes fired missiles toward the Damascus area late Friday, according to Reuters. The Syrian government claims that its air defense system shot down most of these missiles. “The results of the aggression so far were limited to a strike on one of the warehouses at Damascus airport,” the SANA news agency said, citing a military source. SANA said the missiles were fired at 11:15 p.m. Israel has launched attacks in Syria to combat Iranian influence in the country. A top Israeli official said in September that Israeli forces had carried out more than 200 attacks on alleged Iranian targets over the past two years, Reuters said. Iran has helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the war broke out in 2011, both through Iranian an Iran-backed groups such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The state news agency last reported an Israeli missile strike on Dec. 25, claiming the attack injured three Syrian troops, per Reuters.

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