BEIRUT: Syria's air defenses intercepted early on Thursday an Israeli attack on the al Qusair area in Homs, Syrian state media reported.
A Syrian military source said in a statement there was some material damage from the strike and no casualties.
The Israeli military said it had no comment.
In a separate development, the Israeli military said in a statement that its troops were searching for “two suspects” who were spotted crossing the Lebanese border into Israeli territory overnight. It did not say whether the infiltrators were believed to be armed.
On Monday, Syria said it had intercepted an attack on Aleppo.
Homs province adjoins Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group holds sway along the rugged frontier.
Western intelligence sources have said Israel’s stepped-up strikes on Syria since last year are part of a shadow war approved by the United States.
The strikes are also part of an anti-Iran policy that in the past two years has undermined Iran’s extensive military power without starting a major increase in hostilities.
Syrian air defenses intercept Israeli attack over Homs - state media
https://arab.news/jab5x
Syrian air defenses intercept Israeli attack over Homs - state media
- The Israeli military said it had no comment
Syrian government foils Daesh plot to attack churches and New Year celebrations
- Bomber kills soldier in Aleppo, detonates explosives injuring 2 others
ALEPPO, DAMASCUS: The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on Thursday that it had thwarted a Daesh plot to carry out suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations and churches, particularly in Aleppo.
The ministry said in a statement that, as part of ongoing counterterrorism efforts and careful monitoring of Daesh cells in cooperation with partner agencies, it had received intelligence indicating plans for suicide attacks targeting New Year celebrations in several provinces, particularly Aleppo, with a focus on churches and civilian gathering areas.
The ministry added that it took preemptive measures, including reinforcing security around churches, deploying mobile and fixed patrols, and setting up checkpoints across the city.
During operations at a checkpoint in Aleppo’s Bab Al-Faraj district, security forces intercepted a suspected Daesh member who opened fire. One internal security soldier was killed, and the attacker detonated explosives, injuring two others.
Daesh recently increased its attacks in Syria, and was blamed for an attack last month in Palmyra that killed three Americans.
On Dec. 13, two US soldiers and an American civilian were killed in an attack Washington blamed on a lone Daesh gunman in Palmyra.
In retaliation, American forces struck scores of Daesh targets in Syria.
Syrian authorities have also carried out several operations against Daesh since then, saying on Dec. 25 they had killed a senior leader of the group.
