The outskirts of the primary Syrian city of Damascus fell victim to Israeli airstrikes this Saturday, leading to the death of at least three individuals, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) which operates out of London.
This non-governmental organization, with its extensive network of information sources in Syria, stated that the attack resulted in a significant number of injuries. The assault specifically targeted a neighborhood known for its high concentration of military personnel and top-ranking officials’ residences.
The official Sana news agency quoted a military source who revealed that “after midnight, the Israeli enemy initiated an air aggression (…) aiming at several targets in the vicinity of Damascus”. This source added that “air defense systems managed to intercept some rockets while others resulted in material damage”.
The SOHR also brought to light that “on Friday, the area of the Mazza military airport, located west of Damascus, was subjected to an attack”. However, the organization did not disclose the identity of the perpetrators behind this missile assault.
Importantly, the SOHR added that “militant groups, including the Lebanese Shia pro-Iranian Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian armed groups, are known to operate in the vicinity”.
Since the inception of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the Israeli military has executed hundreds of attacks against these groups.
Following the commencement of the conflict with Hamas in October of last year, the Israeli military has increased its assaults on armed groups that are backed by Iran. Iran is a known ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and a significant sponsor of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israel has publicly declared its stance that it will not tolerate the reinforcement of Iran’s presence in Syria.
