Syria Accuses Israel of Daytime Airstrike on Targets in Northwest of Country

Three Syrian soldiers were injured and damage was reported in a Sunday morning airstrike on northwest Syria, according to Syrian state media, which blamed the air attack on Israel. The SANA state news agency reported that the attack came from northern Lebanon, and struck sites in the coastal Tartus province and near Masyaf in the Hama province. SANA reported that Syria’s air defense systems intercepted some of the Israeli missiles, shooting them down; Syrian state media frequently make that claim. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the sites targeted are home to Iranian-backed militias and that two Iranian soldiers were killed in the air strikes. Israel’s military has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in the attack, as per its usual practice. Israeli attacks typically take place under cover of darkness, making today’s attack unusual. Syria blamed Israel for an attack on Tuesday that targeted the Aleppo international airport, which closed the airport for several days and led to the redirection of some earthquake aid for northwestern Syria. Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria in recent years.