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Israeli aircraft have attacked two sites linked to Hezbollah near Damascus, two sources in the opposition to President Bashar Al Assad said on Monday.
One of the strikes on Sunday hit a building in the city of Dimas, the sources said. The city is between Damascus and the Lebanese border, a link in Iranian weapons transfers to Hezbollah.
The strikes were the latest attack on Iranian-linked targets in Syria amid intensified Israeli operations that began following the outbreak of the Gaza war.
Official Syrian media quoted an army official as saying two soldiers were wounded on Sunday in missile attacks by Israeli planes "on multiple locations on the outskirts of the capital".
The official said that air defences "repelled the missiles off the aggressor and downed a number of them."
Another attack hit a compound in the southern Damascus suburb of Saida Zaina, home to a Shiite shrine, the opposition sources said. The Lebanese militant group said one of the reasons it intervened in the Syrian civil war was to protect the site.
Hezbollah works with Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to oversee an array of domestic and foreign militias in Syria.
They have posed an increased threat to Israeli forces in the occupied Golan Heights and to US forces in eastern Syria.
On December 9, pro-Hezbollah media reported three Hezbollah members were killed in an Israeli drone strike in Qunaitera, a governorate between Damascus and the Golan Heights.
Israel has increased its air raids on Iranian installations and supply lines in Syria since Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.
Since the Gaza war broke out, air strikes have hit the Damascus and Aleppo airports, as well as targets linked to Hezbollah.
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Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
