Syria says Israeli planes hit military sites near Damascus

The Israel Defense Forces neither confirmed nor denied the reports of the attacks, which Syrian state television said caused no casualties.

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JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Syrian government claimed that Israeli planes attacked military sites near Damascus.

The attacks, also reported on Syrian television, took place on Sunday night, Syria said. Israeli planes are reported to have hit several military facilities near Damascus International Airport and in Dimas, located north of Damascus near the border with Lebanon.

Syrian state television reports said that there were no casualties.

“The Israeli enemy committed aggression against Syria by targeting two safe areas in Damascus province, in all of Dimas and near the Damascus International Airport,” the Syrian government said.

The Israel Defense Forces neither confirmed nor denied the reports on Sunday, according to Israeli media. The IDF does not comment on such accusations.

The Syrians said the attacks were further evidence that Israel was working with rebels against the Syrian government in the country’s more than three-year civil war.

The Jerusalem Post cited foreign reports that said the attack targeted a warehouse of advanced S-300 missiles that were being transported from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry sent letters to the United Nations secretary-general and to the head of the U.N. Security Council condemning Israel for the attacks, according to a report by the Syrian state news agency, SANA.

Israel reportedly has struck targets in Syria several times during Syria’s civil war. The strikes, including at least two in 2013, were reported to be an effort to stop the transport of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon via Syria. Israel has not acknowledged or denied the strikes.

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