News / Syria

Syria repels Israeli raid, intercepts ‘hostile missiles’ over Damascus: SANA

Wednesday, 20 November 2019 3:12 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 20 November 2019 8:25 AM ]

File photo of a missile fired over the Syrian capital of Damascus (Photo by Syria's official news agency SANA)

The Syrian military says the country's air defenses have repelled several “hostile missiles” fired by Israeli jets over the capital Damascus.

Syria's official news agency SANA, citing a Syrian military source, reported in the early hours of Wednesday that Israeli warplanes had violated the Lebanese airspace near the southern district of Marjayoun and the occupied Golan Heights before firing missiles towards Damascus.

SANA said the Syrian air defense systems had successfully fended off the Israeli air strikes on the capital and its suburbs, adding that several missiles had also been downed south of Damascus before reaching their targets.

The news agency said explosions were also seen in the skies of the capital and work was underway to evaluate the situation and assess possible damage.

Syria state-run broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya confirmed the report and said the Israeli strikes destroyed at least two residential buildings in the southwest of Damascus, leaving inhabitants of the property – a father, a mother and their children – injured.

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv confirmed the attack, claiming to have struck dozens of what it described as Iranian and Syrian targets.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, including in the Golan Heights, most of them against what the Tel Aviv regime claims to be the positions of pro-Syrian forces.