Israeli air strike kills nine Syrians near Damascus

Israeli air strikes near Syria’s capital, Damascus, have killed nine people, including five Syrian soldiers, in the deadliest such raid since the start of 2022, a war monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said an ammunition depot and several positions linked to Iran’s military presence in Syria were among the targets.

“The Israeli enemy carried out an air assault at dawn, targeting several positions around Damascus,” a military source was quoted as saying by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

“The investigation indicated that four soldiers were killed, three others injured and material damage noted.”

The latest strike followed another near Damascus on 14 April, without casualties, according to SANA.

The missiles were fired from the Israeli seaside city of Tiberias and most were shot down by Syrian air defences, reported Reuters.

Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment to Reuters about the reported strike.

Israel has repeatedly carried out strikes on Syria targeting forces of the Bashar Al-Assad regime and groups affiliated with Iran.

READ: Syria says Israeli air strikes targeted capital Damascus