Israel claims Syria strike on Iran-linked targets

Israel acknowledged yesterday that it carried out a weekend air strike on what it called an Iranian arms cache in Syria, and that it hunted for crossborder tunnels dug by Tehran-allied Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas.

In recent days Israel has been lifting the veil on its operations against Iran-linked targets – a sign of confidence in a campaign waged amid occasional tension with Syria’s big-power backer, Russia. Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, may also be highlighting his security credentials before elections in April.