Syria: 4 regime troops killed in Israeli airstrike

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Four Syrian regime troops were killed and six others wounded when Israeli missiles hit targets in the Syrian capital Damascus, Russian Defense Ministry said Monday.

Israel carried out three airstrikes Sunday night on what the Israeli Defense Force said were positions of Iran's elite Quds force around the Damascus International Airport.

Syria's official SANA news agency has confirmed the Israeli missile strikes from 02.11 a.m. till 02.56 a.m. Syrian local time, which the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said had caused "substantial damage" to the Damascus airport.

Israel said it also hit Syrian regime’s air defense capabilities.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 were killed in the strike, only two of whom were Syrians.

Fresh attacks came a day after the Israeli military said its Iron Dome defense system intercepted a missile fired by Iranians in Syria that targeted the northern Golan Heights.

Citing an unnamed military source, SANA said Syrian air defense systems intercepted about 30 Israeli missiles.

There was no comment from Iran on the Israeli attacks.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel had attacked Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria.

Israel frequently accuses Tehran of exploiting the ongoing conflict in Syria --- where Iran supports the ruling Assad regime -- to establish a permanent military presence near Israel’s border.