Syria reports Israeli air strikes against central airbase

Syrian state media says some missiles directed at airbase in Homs province were shot down

An Israeli tank takes part in a military drill in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on September 1, 2020. AFP

Syria's air defences opened fire late on Wednesday on missiles launched by Israeli warplanes at a military air base in the central province of Homs, shooting down some of them, state media said.

State news agency Sana said the Israeli warplanes fired the missiles from southern Syria soon after 10pm. The missiles were aimed at the T-4 airbase in Homs, but Syrian air defences intercepted most of them, Sana said. It said that there was only material damage but did not specify if it was inside the base.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, also reported the strikes.

There were also Israeli strikes on Monday night, reportedly hitting military posts south of the capital of Damascus. Two Syrian soldiers were killed and seven others wounded in the attacks.

Israel rarely comments on such reports, but is believed to have carried out dozens of raids targeting Iran’s military presence in Syria.

Since June, Syria has accused Israel of conducting at least nine air raids on its territory.

Iran, a key ally of the Syrian government, is considered by Israel a regional and security threat. Israel has vowed to prevent any permanent Iranian military build-up in Syria, particularly near the border.

In recent months, Israeli officials have also expressed concern that Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group that operates in Syria, is trying to establish facilities to produce precision-guided missiles. Tensions have also risen along the Israel-Lebanon border.

A Hezbollah member was killed during strikes on Syria last month, and the Lebanese militant group vowed to retaliate. On Sunday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to kill Israeli soldiers whenever Israel kills Hezbollah fighters in Syria.