IAF hits Syrian air defense battery after missile explodes over Israel
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Hashim Sheikh
- . July 2, 2023
- . Update: July 3, 2023 2:42 pm
An Israeli military spokesman said that fighter jets hit a Syrian air defense battery on Sunday in retaliation to an anti-aircraft missile launched toward Israel from the system earlier on Sunday night, which exploded in Israeli airspace.
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The Israeli Air Force (IAF) reportedly targeted the Syrian air defense battery and other parts of the area. Syria’s state news agency, SANA, said that the IAF attacked numerous sites. The Syrian Arab News Agency said that a missile from Israel hit locations in the vicinity of the Syrian city of Homs, causing “material damage.” However, Israel did not acknowledge the strikes near Homs.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that the missile also hit “additional targets in the area.” Israeli authorities claimed that an anti-aircraft missile was launched toward Israel from the Syrian air defense battery. Avichay Adraee, a Lieutenant Colonel and the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, said that no casualties were reported from the anti-aircraft Syria missile. He said that the Syrian missile “exploded mid-air in Israeli airspace.”
In recent months, Israel increased its strikes on Syrian airports and air bases. In April this year, the Israeli military said it shot down an “aircraft” launched from Syria into Israel’s airspace. Israeli airstrikes also hit several sites in Homs, injuring five soldiers. Israeli missiles also targeted Iran-linked militias and the research center in Syria.
In April, Syrian officials said that Israeli airstrikes in Damascus, the capital of Syria, injured two soldiers. Syria said that Israeli missiles targeted several positions in the vicinity of Damascus.
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In March this year, Israeli airstrikes targeted the airport at the northern city of Aleppo in Syria. Israel also attacked an underground munitions depot at the Nairab military airport, which completely destroyed the depot. In February, an Israeli air strike killed 15 people in Syria.
