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Israel has reportedly launched airstrikes against Iranian military targets in Syria killing six people.
Israeli planes flew very low over parts of Lebanon early Friday, terrorizing residents on Christmas Eve, some of whom reported seeing missiles in the skies over Beirut.
Minutes later, Syria’s official news agency reported explosions in the city of Masyaf, in central Syria.
Other Syrian media said Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli strike near the city in Hama province.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which supports the country’s opposition, said the attacks affected the positions of Iranian-backed militias and killed at least six foreign paramilitaries.
Israel “launched an aggression by directing a barrage of rockets” from the north of the Lebanese city of Tripoli towards the Masyaf area, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.
He said that the Syrian air defense “engaged enemy missiles and intercepted most of them.”
Israeli planes regularly violate Lebanese airspace and have often attacked inside Syria from Lebanese territory.
But the Christmas Eve flights were louder than usual, scaring Beirut residents who have endured multiple crises in the past year, including the catastrophic August 4 explosion at the city’s port that killed more than 200 people and destroyed parts of the capital.
That explosion resulted from the detonation of a reserve of ammonium nitrates that was improperly stored at the facility.
There was no immediate word from Israel on Friday’s flights and the alleged attacks on Syria.
In recent years, Israel has acknowledged carrying out dozens of airstrikes in Syria, most of them targeting suspected shipments of Iranian weapons believed to be destined for Hezbollah.
In recent months, Israeli officials have expressed concern that Hezbollah is trying to set up production facilities to make precision-guided missiles.
Masyaf is an important military area for the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad that includes a military academy and a scientific research center.
Israel has attacked targets there several times in the past.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
