Israeli strike on Syria kills two, wounds five in Lebonan

By: AFP
Published: 06:39 PM, 27 Jun, 2024
Israeli strike on Syria kills two, wounds five in Lebonan
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Two people were killed in an Israeli strike on southern Syria on Wednesday, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a military source.


According to the NGO Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strike targeted the service centre of a foundation affiliated with pro-Iranian groups including Lebanon's Hezbollah.


The strike was near Sayyida Zeinab, which is home to an important Shiite sanctuary and is defended by pro-Iranian militias and the army.


Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the country, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters, including from Hezbollah.


"At around 11:40 pm, the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial assault from the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting a number of positions in the southern region, killing two people and injuring a soldier," the SANA report said.


It said Syrian air defence had also shot down some missiles, without giving further details.


The Observatory, however, said that three people were killed in the strike, including an elderly woman, with another 11 injured.


It had initially reported one death.


On June 19, a Syrian army officer was killed in the same region, according to SANA.


Israeli strikes have increased since the Palestinian militant group Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.


Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah, has long been a key ally of the Syrian government, but has said repeatedly that it has no combat troops in Syria, only officers to provide military advice and training.


Israeli authorities rarely comment on the strikes, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.


Israeli strike wounds five in Lebanon


An Israeli strike on Wednesday wounded five people when it hit a two-storey building in the town of Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon, state media reported.







The report came as fears mounted that months of cross-border fire between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah could turn into a full-fledged conflict.


Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, have traded near-daily cross-border fire since the Palestinian militant group's October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.


Tensions have been rising in recent days with growing exchanges of fire.


On Wednesday Israel carried out some 10 strikes on border regions, Lebanon's national news agency said.


An Israeli strike destroyed the building in Nabatiyeh around 10:00 pm (1900 GMT), it said, adding the five people who were in the vicinity of the structure were wounded and taken to hospital.


There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.


Hezbollah on Wednesday claimed six attacks against Israeli military positions in the border region.


Some 481 people have died in Lebanon as a result of the Israel-Hezbollah clashes since October 7, including 94 civilians, according to an AFP tally.


On the Israeli side, at least 15 soldiers and 11 civilians have been killed, according to Israel.











Categories : World

Agence France-Presse is an international news agency.