Air defenses thwart Israeli targets near Damascus: Syrian army

DAMASCUS, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- The air defenses of the Syrian capital Damascus intercepted Israeli missile attacks in its vicinity before dawn Friday, the Syrian army said.

Around 2:25 am local time (2325 GMT Thursday), the Israeli army carried out an aerial attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting several points in the vicinity of Damascus, according to an army statement.

"Our air defense thwarted the aggression's missiles, and most of them were intercepted," it said.

The attack resulted in some material losses, the statement added.

For its part, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said that in the 21st targeting since the Israeli war on Gaza, Israeli airstrikes hit sites belonging to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah in the vicinity of the capital, Damascus.

It added that since the beginning of 2023, it has documented 52 instances of Israeli targeting of Syrian territory.

The strikes resulted in approximately 106 targets being hit, including weapon and ammunition depots, headquarters, centers and vehicles, it added.