Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeting the central Damascus neighborhood of Kafr Sousa and a military facility in the Homs countryside killed one Syrian soldier and wounded seven others, according to Syria’s Ministry of Defense. The strikes also caused material damage, though specific details on the extent were not provided.
According to Syrian state media, a residential building had been hit during the strike in Kafr Sousa. The strikes come as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tours the Middle East, urging for a halt to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Smoke and Fire can be seen rising from the Site of an Israeli Airstrike on the Kafr Sousa Neighborhood of Damascus. pic.twitter.com/7Sz8ABoFF7
— Met_ariel (@met_ariel) October 24, 2024
Israel has frequently targeted military positions and weapons transfers that it believes are controlled by Iran or Hezbollah, in efforts to prevent arms from reaching Hezbollah operatives. While Israel typically does not comment on specific operations in Syria, it has acknowledged striking Iranian interests to prevent threats to its national security.
In recent months, Israeli air raids have intensified, targeting both Iranian and Hezbollah assets in Syria. Earlier in the week, Israeli forces conducted a missile strike in the Mazzeh area of Damascus, killing a Hezbollah commander responsible for weapons transfers from Iran.
Following the attack in the Damascus area, this is a vehicle that was attacked in the Al-Maza neighborhood. pic.twitter.com/fxGEpNsJ8N
— Ronen (@RonenStauber) October 21, 2024
The United Nations’ special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has warned that the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon is spilling over into Syria, raising concerns about a larger regional war. He described Syria as being on the verge of a “military, humanitarian, and economic storm,” with the situation expected to worsen if these regional conflicts escalate further.
Israel has carried out over 220 airstrikes on Syria since October 2023, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project. These strikes have often targeted Iranian and Hezbollah assets, with a notable attack in April 2024 on the Iranian consular building in Damascus, which killed seven members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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