Syria Repels Another Israeli Air Attack

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Syrian air defenses thwarted an Israeli attack on Sunday, shooting down seven missiles targeting an airport near Damascus.

According to state media and Russia’s Ministry of Defense, the attack was launched by four Israeli F-16 jets. No damage the airport and no casualties were reported.

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RT reports: The attack occurred at 1:32pm local time on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said. Four F-16 Israeli fighter jets were flying above the Mediterranean Sea as they launched guided missiles into Syria, targeting the “international airport, southwest of Damascus,” the military officials explained.

Syria’s Pantsir and Buk air defense missile systems were used to shoot down Israeli rockets and knocked out seven of them. The military added that there was no damage done to the airport and no casualties on the ground.

A Syrian military source earlier told state media that the army “thwarted”an Israeli “air aggression” against the country.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the airport attack, saying that it was part of the country’s “permanent policy… to oppose Iran’s attempts to gain a foothold in Syria and to hurt those [who are] trying to hurt us.”

#Israel‘s #IronDome intercepts rocket after warplane foray reported in #Syria pic.twitter.com/OCNFbXbU2k

— Ruptly (@Ruptly) January 20, 2019

The Israeli Army said on the same day that they had intercepted a rocket launched at the northern Golan Heights, without specifying where the rocket came from. In recent years, Israel has conducted multiple air raids on Syrian territory, striking alleged Iranian-linked targets. Not all attacks reported by Syria were subsequently confirmed by the IDF. Officials in Tel Aviv have accused Iran of using its ‘proxies’ on the ground in Syria to undermine Israeli security.

Damascus has repeatedly denounced Israeli airstrikes, stressing that they constitute a rampant violation of its state sovereignty. Russia has joined Syria in condemning Israeli operations. Officials blasted the IDF raids as reckless acts that endanger civilian flights in the area.