‘Israel struck Iran missile base in central Syria’

An Israeli air strike in central Syria destroyed an Iranian missile facility and a training centre, Syria’s state-run media said yesterday.

“Around 2.30am the Israeli air force carried out a strike targeting one of our military positions in the town of Misyaf,” the official Sana news agency quoted a military source as saying.

The strike in Hama province, north of Damascus “wounded three combatants and destroyed buildings,” the source said.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strike hit a Syrian military college in the town and two buildings used by Iranian forces in nearby villages.

Several Iranian fighters died and 17 Syrian troops and members of allied forces were injured, the monitoring group said.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment.

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

With the support of US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to take whatever military action he deems necessary to prevent Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah from establishing a continuing military presence in Syria.

Late last month, Mr Trump broke with decades of international consensus to recognise Israel’s annexation of the strategic Golan Heights, seized from Syria in the 1967 ArabIsraeli war.

The move was a diplomatic coup for Israel, but was opposed by US foes and allies alike.

Iran and Hezbollah intervened in Syria’s war to support forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad. They were joined in 2015 by Russia.