Live
Audio Only
Israel's army has confirmed it is carrying out ongoing attacks on Syria to which Syrian air defenses responded by intercepting and dowing many of the missiles fired at Syrian forces stationed in the occupied Golan Highest south of Syria on the border with Israel.
OPINION:
Iran: Chances of 'Disastrous War' Soar as US Exits Nuclear Deal
"Syrian anti-aircraft defenses earlier this morning destroyed the largest part of a 'successive wave' of Israeli rockets fired at its army bases," an unnamed Syrian army spokesman said in a statement Thursday. "The Israeli missiles killed three people and injured several others, the strikes also destroyed a radar station, weapon depot and it damaged some of the air defenses department."
Earlier in the day the Syrian government reported that its air defenses "were confronting a new wave of Israeli aggression rockets and downing them one after the other," according to SANA.
The scale of Israeli rocket fire appeared to be far higher than in previous incidents and Damascus residents described seeing explosions above the city from air defense systems. Syria's foreign ministry said Thursday that Israel's latest move towards "direct confrontation ... indicates the start of a new phase of aggression against" Damascus.
"This aggressive conduct by the Zionist entity ... will lead to nothing but an increase in tensions in the region," state news agency SANA cited an official in the ministry as saying.
Israel said it hit Iran's military infrastructure in Syria after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli targets near the border for the first time. There was no immediate comment from Tehran.
Israeli war planes were shooting the rockets from inside the Occupied Palestinian territories and targeting the City of Baath in Quneitra province, which was shelled shortly after midnight, the state news agency said.
State-run al-Ikhbariya TV broadcasted live feed of the air defenses as they were confronting the Israeli rockets.
Images and posts on social media have reported explosions in and around the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Syria had launched a retaliatory attack on Israeli forces in occupied Golan Heights Wednesday after Israel launched a missile strike on a military base near Damascus the day before. Israel blamed Irani forces in Syria for the attack.
Liberman had earlier claimed that the Iranians were "trying to build a third front" by Golan Heights, and said that Israel would target anyone who launches missiles at them.
The latest escalation follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the international nuclear accord, a move widely criticized internationally, but praised by Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Syrian state media agency SANA has released footage of Syrian air defense systems responding to incoming missiles.
Newsletter
