Israel strikes Syria 'in response to anti-aircraft missile'

Syria's air defences activated against Israeli fire around Damascus, state media says

A HTS fighter fires an anti-aircraft gun in Syria's Idlib province in 2019. Israel says it hit anti-aircraft batteries on Wednesday in Syria. AFP

Israel's military said it launched strikes against targets in Syria and hit anti-aircraft batteries early on Wednesday.

The strikes came in response to a missile fired from Syria.

Sirens sounded in Umm Al Fahm and Samaria after the launch, and the missile exploded in mid-air, the Israel military said on Twitter.

"In response to the anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria earlier tonight, we just struck surface-to-air missile targets in Syria, including radar and anti-aircraft batteries," another tweet said.

Syria's air defences had been activated against Israeli fire "in the vicinity of Damascus", state media said.

It said Israeli aerial attacks began shortly before 1am and were accompanied at 1.10am by surface-to-surface missile strikes "from the direction of the occupied Golan", citing a military source.

"Our aerial defences confronted the enemy's missiles and shot some of them down," Syrian news agency Sana said.

One soldier was killed and five others wounded, "along with material damage".

Israel rarely comments on air strikes it carries out in Syria, but has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran to extend its footprint in the country.

Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, targeting government positions, as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.

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