Skip to main content

Israel says it intercepts rocket over Golan fired from Syria

Downing of missile came shortly after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air strikes on its territory
An Israeli military spokesperson said that the rocket was intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system (Israeli army)

Israel's military said it had intercepted a rocket fired from Syria on Sunday, shortly after Damascus accused Israel of carrying out air strikes on its territory. 

An Israeli military spokesperson told the AFP news agency that the rocket was intercepted by its Iron Dome defence system over the northern Golan Heights, Syrian territory that Israel has occupied since 1967. 

The incident followed Syria's state news agency SANA earlier reporting that Syria's own defence systems had "prevented Israeli air strikes from achieving their objectives in the south".

Netanyahu confirms strike on 'Iran target' in Syria was carried out by Israel
Read More »

Russia's National Defence Control Centre was cited by the RIA news agency as saying Syrian military air defences shot down seven missiles targeting an airport in southeastern Damascus, 

The attack, launched by four Israeli F-16 jets, did not damage the airport and there were no casualties, the control centre was cited as saying, according to the Reuters news agency. 

"Warehouses containing weapons for Syrian regime ally Hezbollah and Iranian fighters are located in that area," said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Rahman, who leads the UK-based activist group which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, said it was not clear if these stores were hit in the strikes.

Israel has pledged to stop its main enemy Iran from entrenching itself militarily in neighbouring Syria.

It has carried out hundreds of air strikes there against what it says are Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Israel rarely publicly confirms its strikes in Syria.

Stay informed with MEE's newsletters

Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked

 
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.