DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria said Wednesday it has responded to "a new Israeli aggression" after aircraft targeted a military outpost near Damascus.

State news agency SANA said air defenses confronted the Israeli planes. A Syrian military statement said the planes were flying over Lebanese territory when they fired missiles at an outpost near the capital. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Wednesday's report was the second such accusation in less than a month.

Syria's military on Jan. 9 accused Israel of launching missiles targeting military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh, in the Damascus countryside. The military said that attack caused material damage.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of Syria's civil war, against what it says are suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Israeli warplanes struck a Syrian military position in a rural area near Damascus on Wednesday, triggering Syria's air defence system which destroyed most of the missiles, a Syrian army statement carried by state television said.

The statement said several missiles were launched by the Israeli jets from inside the territory of neighbouring Lebanon at 03:42 am local time.

"The general command of the armed forces holds Israel fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of its repeated, aggressive and uncalculated adventures," the army statement said.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: "We do not respond to such reports."

The Syrian army said it had destroyed most of the Israeli missiles fired at its position, but did not give details of any damage or casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the missiles targeted "positions of the Syrian army and its allies" in the region of Jamraya, west of Damascus, which was also hit in December.

The Israeli air force has said it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and Lebanon's Hezbollah nearly 100 times since the war in Syria began more than six years ago.

Israel regards the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as the biggest threat it faces on its borders.

It has grown deeply alarmed by Iran's expanding clout during the conflict, and has warned it would act against any threat from Tehran.

ALSO READ: Israel raises threshold to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal</s>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes struck a Syrian military position in a rural area near Damascus on Wednesday, triggering Syria’s air defense system which destroyed most of the missiles, a Syrian army statement carried by state television said.

The statement said several missiles were launched by the Israeli jets from inside the territory of neighboring Lebanon at 03:42 am local time.

“The general command of the armed forces holds Israel fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of its repeated, aggressive and uncalculated adventures,” the army statement said.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: “We do not respond to such reports.”

The Syrian army said it had destroyed most of the Israeli missiles fired at its position, but did not give details of any damage or casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the missiles targeted “positions of the Syrian army and its allies” in the region of Jamraya, west of Damascus, which was also hit in December.

The Israeli air force has said it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah nearly 100 times since the war in Syria began more than six years ago.

Israel regards the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as the biggest threat it faces on its borders.

It has grown deeply alarmed by Iran’s expanding clout during the conflict, and has warned it would act against any threat from Tehran.</s>Syria has accused Israel of launching air raids on military positions near the capital Damascus, saying the attack showed its support for "terrorist organisations" operating in the area.

The raids early on Wednesday targeted military forces in Jamraya, 10km northwest of Damascus, the Syrian military said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA.

"This morning Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese airspace on one of our military positions in the Damascus countryside," it said. "Our air defence systems blocked them and destroyed most of them."

UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said some Israeli missiles did hit Syrian targets.

"Syria's air defence system blocked some of the missiles, but others hit ammunition depots near Jamraya," said SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the accusations.

Syria's foreign ministry accused Israel of supporting armed groups that have shelled Damascus for days with "rockets and mortar rounds".

"The government of the Syrian Arab Republic reiterates its warning to Israel on the serious repercussions of its attacks on Syria, its continued support for armed terrorist organisations, and its continued occupation of the Arab territories," the ministry said.</s>DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s official news agency says the military has responded to “a new Israeli aggression” near the capital.

SANA says air defenses confronted the Israeli planes, which targeted an outpost in the Damascus countryside. It did not provide details and there was no immediate comment from Israel.

Wednesday’s report was the second such accusation in less than a month.

Syria’s military on Jan. 9 accused Israel of launching missiles targeting military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh, in the Damascus countryside. The military said that attack caused material damage.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of Syria’s civil war, against what it says are suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces.</s>Overnight Tuesday Israel again launched a major attack on Syrian government locations near Damascus in what seems a monthly exercise that many analysts now openly recognize as an Israeli attempt to provoke war with Syria. For at least the third time since the start of the 7-year long war in Syria, Israeli jets attacked a site just outside of Syria's capital city called Jamraya - believed to be a military research facility related to chemical weapons.

Jamraya is an area well-known for its multiple government facilities, including a branch of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center, which was the site of two prior attacks by Israel - one in 2013 and another in early December 2017 - but also has sprawling civilian residential areas. It lies on the opposite side of Mt. Qasioun, against which the Damascus city center is nestled.

Like with other recent attacks, Israeli jets are reported to have fired from over Lebanon, with a Syrian military media statement saying that its air defenses intercepted most of the inbound missiles, though no further details were given. Unconfirmed international media reports, however, indicate one or more of the Israeli missiles may have impacted parts of the Syrian government facility during the strikes which occurred at 03:42 am local time Wednesday morning.



 Israeli F-15 fighter jet takes off in Negev desert. Image source: AFP via Middle East Eye

In statement picked up by Reuters the Syrian military said, "The general command of the armed forces holds Israel fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of its repeated, aggressive and uncalculated adventures."

And similar to a September 2017 strike on a military research facility in Masyaf - also said to be a chemical weapons development site, it appears Israel has timed the assault closely on the heels of recent allegations of repeat chemical attacks carried out by the Syrian government against al-Qaeda held pockets of the country - namely Idlib and East Ghouta. Though admitting "no evidence" US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis suggested last week that the Syrian Army may be using sarin gas while also alleging multiple smaller scale chlorine attacks.

Israel, however, has lately been quick to justify what Damascus has condemned as unprovoked "acts of aggression" in humanitarian terms as retribution for supposed gas attacks. Israel has long been on record as condemning Iran's presence in the region, however, Israeli leaders lately appear increasingly reliant on chemical attack claims as rationale for bombing Syrian government sites.



 Overhead view of the Jamraya research facility which the Israeli's targeted. Image via Times of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stated of Iran's presence in Syria, “We will not allow a regime hell bent on the annihilation of the Jewish state to acquire nuclear weapons. We will not allow that regime to entrench itself militarily in Syria, as it seeks to do, for the express purpose of eradicating our state.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force has acknowledged striking targets inside Syria at least 100 times over the past few years of the conflict. Syria has frequently taken its case before the U.N., calling for official condemnation of the unprovoked attacks, but has been just as frequently rebuffed.

In its pursuit of regime change in Syria, Israel has given covert support to al-Qaeda linked groups in Syria's south, which has reportedly involved weapons transfers and treatment of wounded jihadists in Israeli hospitals, the latter which was widely promoted in photo ops involving Netanyahu himself. As even former Acting Director of the CIA Michael Morell once directly told the Israeli public, Israel's "dangerous game" in Syria consists in getting in bed with al-Qaeda in order to fight Shia Iran.

This latest attack near Damascus is the latest in what has developed into an open state of war between Israel, Syria, and Syria's Iranian allied forces.</s>BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes struck a Syrian military position in a rural area near Damascus on Wednesday, triggering Syria’s air defence system which destroyed most of the missiles, a Syrian army statement carried by state television said.

The statement said several missiles were launched by the Israeli jets from inside the territory of neighbouring Lebanon at 03:42 am local time.

“The general command of the armed forces holds Israel fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of its repeated, aggressive and uncalculated adventures,” the army statement said.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: “We do not respond to such reports.”

The Syrian army said it had destroyed most of the Israeli missiles fired at its position, but did not give details of any damage or casualties.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the missiles targeted “positions of the Syrian army and its allies” in the region of Jamraya, west of Damascus, which was also hit in December.

The Israeli air force has said it has struck arms convoys of the Syrian military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah nearly 100 times since the war in Syria began more than six years ago.

Israel regards the Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is fighting alongside the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, as the biggest threat it faces on its borders.

It has grown deeply alarmed by Iran’s expanding clout during the conflict, and has warned it would act against any threat from Tehran.</s>DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - Syria said Wednesday it has responded to "a new Israeli aggression" after aircraft targeted a military outpost near Damascus, claiming its air defense system destroyed most of the missiles.

State news agency SANA said air defenses confronted the Israeli planes, which it said were flying over Lebanese territory when they fired the missiles.

"Our air defense systems responded to missiles fired by the Israeli enemy air force from over Lebanese territory on a military outpost in Damascus countryside and destroyed most of them," an army statement said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syria war through activists on the ground, said the airstrike targeted positions of the Syrian army and its allies in the area of Jamraya, northwest of Damascus, which is home to a government research center and was also hit in December.

Wednesday's report was the second such accusation in less than a month.

Syria's military on Jan. 9 accused Israel of launching missiles targeting military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh, in the Damascus countryside. The military said that attack caused material damage.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of Syria's civil war, against what it says are suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces.</s>DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria said Wednesday it has responded to "a new Israeli aggression" after aircraft targeted a military outpost near Damascus.

State news agency SANA said air confronted the Israeli planes. A Syrian military statement said the planes were flying over Lebanese territory when they fired missiles at an outpost near the capital. There was no immediate comment from Israel.

Wednesday's report was the second such accusation in less than a month.

Syria's military on Jan. 9 accused Israel of launching missiles targeting military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh, in the Damascus countryside. The military said that attack caused material damage.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of Syria's civil war, against what it says are suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces.</s>DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s official news agency says the military has responded to “a new Israeli aggression” near the capital.

SANA says air defenses confronted the Israeli planes, which targeted an outpost in the Damascus countryside. It did not provide details and there was no immediate comment from Israel.

Wednesday’s report was the second such accusation in less than a month.

Syria’s military on Jan. 9 accused Israel of launching missiles targeting military outposts in the area of Qutayfeh, in the Damascus countryside. The military said that attack caused material damage.

Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes inside Syria in the course of Syria’s civil war, against what it says are suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian government forces.
Syrian state media say that Israeli warplanes attacked a military position in Jamraya, Rif Dimashq Governorate, from Lebanese airspace, with the Syrian Air Defense Force intercepting most of the missiles. The target is rumored to be a weapon research facility.