Explosions Heard in Syrian Capital; Israel Suspected as Source
BEIRUT (AP) — The sound of repeated explosions rocked the area around the Syrian capital before dawn on Sunday, according to state media and Damascus residents. The source and target of the attack have yet to be confirmed by government officials, but similar incidents in the past have been attributed to Israeli airstrikes, with Syrian air defenses responding by shooting down missiles.
The British-based opposition war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, stated that the explosion originated from a warehouse storing rockets belonging to Iran-backed militias. However, the organization could not verify whether it was an Israeli strike or determine if there were any casualties.
This comes after the most recent reported Israeli strike on August 7, during which Syrian state media reported airstrikes in areas surrounding Damascus that resulted in the deaths of at least four Syrian army soldiers. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has claimed that these strikes targeted weapons and munitions warehouses, as well as positions occupied by Iran-backed militias near Damascus.
Israel, which has made it clear that it aims to prevent Iranian entrenchment in its neighbor, has carried out numerous strikes on targets located in government-controlled areas of Syria in recent years. Nevertheless, Israel rarely takes responsibility for these attacks.
In addition to targeting government-controlled areas, Israel has also conducted attacks on the international airports in Damascus and the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on multiple occasions over the past few years, often rendering them temporarily inoperable.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Israeli government regarding the reported explosions near the Syrian capital. The situation remains fluid, and further information is expected to emerge soon.