Syria air defence systems intercept Israeli projectiles

Syrian air defence batteries yesterday intercepted projectiles coming from Israel and downed a number of them, the official news agency SANA reported.

“Our air defence systems intercepted luminous objects coming from the occupied territories (Israel) and downed several of them,” SANA said quoting a military source.

A later report described the projectiles as “hostile targets” which were fired “towards the province of Quneitra” near the Golan Heights, parts of which are annexed by Israel.

Earlier SANA reported a “loud explosion” around the capital Damascus.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said “three explosions” shook southwest Damascus yesterday.

“They were Israeli strikes that targeted the Kiswah region where weapons warehouses belonging to Iran and

Hezbollah are located,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

The latest report comes amid soaring tensions in the region between Iran and the United States.

The stand-off had been simmering since the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear treaty which Iran reached with major world powers.

In recent days the US accused Iran of alleged threats and last week deployed an aircraft carrier group and B-52 bombers to the Gulf.

In April, Syria said an Israeli air strike targeted a town in central Hama province north of Damascus, wounding three combatants and destroying buildings.

State media at the time said Syrian air defences intercepted “some of the Israeli missiles”.

In March, Syria accused Israel of having attacked targets just north of second city Aleppo, adding that it air defences had shot down several missiles, after a string of Israeli raids in January.

On January 12, 2019, Syrian air defences shot down Israeli missiles targeting a transport ministry warehouse at the Damascus international airport, SANA reported at the time.

Meanwhile, a working group on Syria established by Russia and Turkey convened in Ankara on May 16-17 to discuss latest situation in Idlib and other regional issues, Anadulo news agency cited a statement by Turkish Defence Ministry.

The two countries decided to form the working group after their presidents spoke on the phone on Tuesday in a bid to bring calm to recent escalation in Syria’s Idlib within the context of Astana and Sochi Agreements.

Turkey currently holds 12 ceasefire observatory points in Idlib’s de-escalation zone, as per the framework of the Astana Agreements. Russia has 10 posts.