Israeli missiles hit Damascus outskirts injuring two soldiers

An Israeli soldier stands on a Merkava tank in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights overlooking the Syrian village of Breqa yesterday. Israeli experts appear mixed on a possible escalation between Tel AvShow more

Syrian air defences on Saturday intercepted Israeli missiles targeted at sites in countryside around the capital Damascus and downed some of them, state media said, citing a military statement.

Two soldiers were injured and some material losses occurred, the statement added. Israeli attacks on Syria have mostly happened at night and daylight attacks are particularly rare.

Asked about the attack, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "We do not comment on reports in the foreign media."

Saturday’s strikes came days after Syria accused Israel of carrying out an attack in the country’s south, without offering details.

Israel, alarmed by Iran's growing regional influence and military presence in Syria, said it carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria to slow down Iranian entrenchment and the movement of Iranian weapons, including ballistic missiles.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against Iran-linked military targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.

Israel has acknowledged it is targeting bases of Iran-allied militias, such as the powerful Lebanese militant Hezbollah group and the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah, which is also backed by Iran. It is going after arms shipments believed to be bound for the group. Hezbollah is fighting on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces in the civil war.

Israel views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line, and it has repeatedly struck Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.