Syria FM says Israel 'playing with fire' after overnight strikes

Syria’s Foreign Minister said, on Thursday, that Israel was “playing with fire”, following Israeli strikes near Damascus and on Aleppo’s International Airport the previous evening, Reuters reports.

The strikes resulted in material damage only, according to state news agency, SANA, which said Syria’s air defences shot down a number of Israeli missiles around the capital.

There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

In comments reported by SANA on Thursday, Syria’s top diplomat, Faisal Al-Meqdad, said Israel was threatening regional security.

“Israel is playing with fire and is putting the regional military and security situations at risk of an explosion,” the agency reported him as saying.

“Syria will not remain silent regarding the repeated Israeli attacks and the Israelis will pay the price,F sooner or later.”

Israel has staged numerous strikes in Syria in recent years, mainly targeting alleged weapons convoys or stores belonging to allied fighters from Iran.

In June, Syria blamed Israel for aerial attacks on its main international airport in Damascus that put the site out of commission for several weeks.

Israeli defence officials say the civilian airport has been used regularly by Iran to transport weapons and militias.

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