Israeli airstrikes target military sites in Syria

DAMASCUS, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Defense Ministry reported early Saturday that Israeli forces launched a series of airstrikes against military sites in Syria's southern and central regions.

The strikes, reportedly carried out around 2:00 a.m. local time (2300 GMT Friday), involved missiles launched from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanese airspace.

According to the ministry, Syrian air defenses intercepted and downed several missiles, and efforts to assess the full impact of the strikes were ongoing.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported that Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace to target locations linked to Iran. The monitor added that while Syrian air defenses attempted to intercept the jets, they were unable to prevent them from reaching their targets.

Also on Saturday, Israel announced it launched "precise strikes" on military targets in Iran and the operation had concluded. Iran reported it had successfully countered the attack, with initial reports from local media indicating there was limited damage to some areas.