IDF reports ‘dozens’ of Iranian militia targets in Syria were struck in an overnight IDF operation by Israeli warplanes over Damascus, in retaliation for multiple rockets fired by Iranian proxies a day earlier.

By i24NEWS – AFP

The Israeli military said that it had successfully struck over a “dozen” targets in Syria overnight Wednesday in retaliation for Iranian proxy fire a day earlier.

Syria state media reported that at least two were killed in the Israeli attack.

The strikes on Israeli territory early Tuesday morning, which was blamed on Iranian military forces, were reportedly intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

During our strike of Iranian & Syrian terror targets, a Syrian air defense missile was fired despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defense batteries were destroyed.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) November 20, 2019

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that it had forewarned Moscow of the retaliation targeting Iranian sites in Syria, and asked to relay the message to Damascus not to respond with anti-aircraft fire.

But the Syrians did not oblige and fired back during the Israeli strike, “despite clear warnings to refrain from such fire”, the IDF added. As a result, a number of Syrian aerial defense batteries were destroyed.

Israel holds Damascus responsible for all attacks launched from Syrian territory.

“The attack was carried out in response to the launching of the rockets by the Iranian Quds force from Syrian territory,” the army said in a statement, adding that missile launchers, weapons warehouses, command centers and bases were targeted in the operation.

Breaking video footage emerges huge fire ripping through unknown object in southern #Damascus amid #Israeli airstrikes. pic.twitter.com/5LHaG3AHxO

— Majd Fahd 🇸🇾 (@Syria_Protector) November 19, 2019

Syria’s state media earlier said anti-aircraft defenses intercepted a “heavy attack” by Israeli warplanes over the capital in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Israel has carried out frequent air and missile strikes against Iranian targets inside Syria since the country descended into civil war in 2011, but rarely comments on them.

Hours after the IDF carried out the operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “I have made clear that any who attack us — we will attack them. That is what we did tonight towards military targets of the Iranian Quds force and Syrian military targets.”

View original i24NEWS publication at:
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/1574226441-idf-says-dozens-of-targets-in-syria-struck-in-overnight-operation

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