Israeli airstrikes on Damascus residential area kill at least 5, Injure 15
Date
2/20/2023 3:20:56 AM
(MENAFN) Early on Sunday, Israeli airstrikes hit a residential area in the Syrian capital of Damascus, resulting in the deaths of at least five people and the injury of 15 others, according to Syrian state news. The explosions were heard over a central part of the city at around 12:30 a.m. regional time, and Syrian air defenses were activated to "confront hostile targets in the sky around Damascus," reported SANA, the state media agency.
A military source, cited by SANA, confirmed that five people, including a soldier, were killed in the attack, and 15 civilians were injured. Several residential buildings were also destroyed, along with the medieval citadel in central Damascus and an applied arts institute housed there.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor, reported that the strikes targeted sites connected with Iranian militias and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, resulting in the deaths of 15 people, including a woman. The strikes took place in the Damascus countryside and on an Iranian school in the neighborhood of Kafr Sousa in the capital.
Samer Abdo, an engineer residing in an apartment building that was struck in Kafr Sousa, shared his experience with the Associated Press, saying that his family was awakened in terror by the building's shaking. They found themselves amidst shattered glass and broken wood in their apartment on an upscale residential street.
The attack has been condemned by the Syrian government, which has accused Israel of violating international law and the sovereignty of Syria. Israel has not officially commented on the matter, but it has been known to carry out airstrikes against targets in Syria, particularly against Iranian military assets and their proxies in the country. The latest attack has once again escalated tensions in the already volatile region, and there are fears of further retaliatory actions.
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