Israel fired missiles toward Syria's central province of Homs Sunday evening targeting an airbase and positions of Iran-backed fighters, an opposition war monitor reported.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in London, said strong explosions were heard when four Israeli missiles hit the Shayrat airbase in Homs province. It said the missile attack targeted the positions of Iran-backed fighters in the area.
Footage of an Israeli-linked attack in the central Syrian province of Homs, November 13, 2022
The group claimed that this was the 29th Israeli attack on Syrian territory since the beginning of the year.
State news agency SANA said Syrian air defenses were responding to "hostile targets" over Homs province adding that some missiles were shot down.
Syrian TV said that "an Israeli aggression" was targeting the province adding that air defenses were responding to the attacks.
A Syrian military source told SANA two soldiers were killed and another three wounded in the attack on the Shayrat airfield.
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Archive: Syrian missile defense systems intercept an Israeli-linked attack over Damascus, February 24, 2020
(Photo: AFP)
The strikes occurred after Israeli warplanes were seen flying over neighboring Lebanon whose airspace Israeli air forces sometimes cross to carry out attacks on Syria.
Sources among the militias operating in the area told the Associated Press that at least ten people were killed in an attack on an Iranian convoy that included fuel trucks.
London-based paper Asharq Al-Awsat reported Friday that Israeli military officials admitted that the attack on the convoy was carried out by Israel.
According to the report, the convoy was carrying weapons and ammunition, and not just fuel as Tehran claims.
The sources told the newspaper that "after Iran suffered harsh blows that destroyed arms convoys at several Syrian airports, especially at Damascus International Airport, they reverted to transporting equipment via land."
"Iran tried to disguise the weapons by using a civilian convoy, hoping to avoid detection by Israeli intelligence," the sources added.
The assumption in Israel, according to the sources, is that the Syrian regime asked Iran to stop arms shipments because "the Israeli attacks hit most of Syria's military industries, but Iran insists on continuing to send missile warheads to its industries in Syria and Lebanon, to ensure the continued production of missiles and improve their accuracy."
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Archive: Syrian missile defense systems intercept an Israeli-linked attack over Homs, November 8, 2021
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.
Israel has acknowledged, however, that it targets bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to support Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.
Daniel Salami contributed to the report.
First published: 19:19, 11.13.22