DAMASCUS (Reuters) – An Israeli strike from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights targeted civilian sites south of the Syrian capital Damascus, causing some damage, Syria’s defence ministry said on Monday.
Earlier, Syrian state media SANA said that initial reports indicated the strike hit the Sayeda Zeinab area. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Israeli military did not comment on the strike.
Sayeda Zeinab, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and site of a major Shi’ite shrine, has been targeted in previous strikes.
Syrian and Western intelligence sources say Israeli attacks in Syria have killed numerous Hezbollah and pro-Iranian militia fighters based around the eastern outskirts of Damascus and to the south of the city.
The sources say the neighbourhood remains a target due to the presence of high-ranking militia leaders.
Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years. It has ramped up strikes since the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by militant group Hamas on Israel and particularly since the recent escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
(This story has been corrected to remove the reference to an early October strike, in paragraph 3)
(Reporting by Adam Makary, Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Hatem Maher; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ros Russell)
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