Israel, Syria Exchange Missile Fire

Forces in Israel and Syria exchanged missile fire early Thursday, during which dozens of Israeli military sites and Syrian bases were targeted.

Ten Zionist regime’s military positions in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were targeted by rocket fire amid heightened tension, according to the Beirut-based TV channel Al-Mayadeen.

The targeted Israeli military sites include a military reconnaissance centre, a position for border security, a military centre for electronic jamming, a military centre for spying on wireless and wired networks, a communication station, an observatory for precision weapons, a gunships heliport, the headquarters of the regional military command of brigade-810, the command centre of the military battalion in Hermon, and the winter headquarters of the special snow unit, according to the Al-Mayadeen report quoted by the Xinhua news agency.

No party claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israel accused Iran of firing the rockets, saying forces linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps were behind the attacks.

If confirmed, this would be the first rocket attack carried out directly by Iran against Israel.

The Israeli military said just 20 missiles were launched from Syria targeting Israeli military positions in the occupied parts of the Golan Heights. But Syrian sources said over 50 missiles were fired into Israel. Tel Aviv claims some the missiles have been intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system.

Israel urged residents in the occupied Golan Heights to enter bomb shelters.

Israeli Retaliation

Israel retaliated with missile strikes, reportedly launched by Israeli warplanes from outside Syrian territory.

The attack targeted areas in the Quneitra and Homs region near Damascus.

The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that several military sites in Syria including a radar facility, air defence positions and an ammunition depot were destroyed.

SANA said some Israeli missiles had been brought down over Damascus, Homs and Sueida.

The Israeli army said it was attacking “Iranian targets” inside Syria.

Iran had vowed retaliation after a suspected Israeli airstrike against the T-4 airbase in central Syria last month killed seven of its military personnel in a Syrian air base.

Israel has been claiming that Iran is setting up bases of operations in Syria in order to stage attacks against Israel.

It has launched numerous airstrikes against Syrian government-controlled territories, targeting alleged Iranian positions, RT reported.

The attack followed the US announcement of withdrawal from the international nuclear deal with Iran.

Hours after the Trump announcement, Israeli rockets targeted a military base in Kisweh in the south-western countryside of the capital Damascus, Syrian outlets reported.

That attack reportedly killed 15 people, including eight Iranians, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, though Syrian forces said there were no casualties.

Israel implicitly claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Israel informed Russia prior to delivering strikes at targets in Syria, Israel military spokesman Jonathan Cornicus said on Thursday.

The Zionist regime seized the Golan Heights from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and has continued to occupy two-thirds of the territory ever since, in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

The regime has built tens of illegal settlements in the area since its occupation.

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