3rd Strike in 2 Weeks in Syria Attributed to Israel 

Israeli fighter jets late Wednesday night conducted airstrikes in southern Syria for the third time in less than two weeks, Damascus’ state television reported. A spokesperson for the Syrian military claimed air defense batteries were activated and intercepted several Israeli missiles, while opposition groups within Syria reported that the raid successfully targeted bases and facilities belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard forces and its local proxies. No casualties were reported in the attack. Last week, two similar attacks near the Syrian capital also were attributed to Israel, targeting Iranian outposts Jerusalem sees as a growing security threat. Over the past few years, and increasingly since it became clear dictator Bashar Assad would retain his stronghold on the war-torn country, Israel reportedly has conducted thousands of raids on Syrian soil. While most have been merely attributed to Israel by Syrian or Western intelligence sources, Jerusalem’s government has claimed responsibility for some strikes.