Syria claimed its air defenses downed missiles coming from the direction of Israel early Sunday morning, hours after two rockets were fired from Syria toward Israel’s Mount Hermon.
The official SANA news agency initially reported explosions around southern Damascus, and shortly after said that Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles coming from the Golan Heights.
The projectiles fired at Israel on Saturday caused no injuries or damage.
It was not immediately clear if both projectiles landed inside Israeli territory. The military was also checking if the rocket fire was intentionally directed at Israel and if so by whom. There has been no fighting reported in the area around the Syrian-Israeli border in recent days, indicating this was not likely the result of errant fire from internal battles.
The incoming rockets did not trigger alert sirens. These alarms are typically only activated in cases where a projectile is heading toward a populated area, rather than an open field.
The launches came less than a week after a limited clash between Israel and Syria.
On Monday, a Syrian anti-aircraft battery fired at an Israeli fighter jet that was flying within Israeli airspace. Shortly afterward, in response, the IDF attacked the battery and destroyed it, reportedly killing a Syrian officer and soldier. A military vehicle was also said damaged in the attack.
Saturday night’s rockets appeared to be a relatively long range variety, reportedly fired from the Damascus area, some 35 kilometers (22 miles) away, similar to an attack earlier this year aimed at the Hermon.
The Hermon is located in the northern tip of Israel’s Golan Heights. In addition to a popular ski resort, the area is also home to a number of military installations.
In January, Iranian troops in Syria fired a medium-range, Iranian-made missile at Mount Hermon in what the IDF said at the time was a “premeditated” attack aimed at deterring Israel from conducting airstrikes against the Islamic republic’s troops and proxies in Syria.
The incoming projectile was shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
Last Saturday, Syria said its air defenses shot down a number of missiles fired from Israel, a day after making a similar claim.
There was no response from the IDF to those reports. Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria.
Toward the start of the Syrian civil war, the Israeli military established a number of “red lines” that if violated would result in a retaliatory strike, including any attacks — intentional or otherwise — against Israel.
Air defense systems were activated against missiles fired from the Golan Heights towards southwest Damascus, a Syrian military source said on Sunday morning, according to Kan news.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the attacks focused on groups of forces and warehouses connected to Hezbollah and Iran in southern Damascus, according to Kan.
Two missiles were fired from Syria toward Israel’s Golan Heights on Saturday night, the IDF confirmed.
The military said it was checking reports that one of the missiles landed near the Mount Hermon ski resort while the other landed inside Syrian territory.
There were no incoming rocket sirens activated and no interception of the rockets. The military said there was no damage or injuries.
On Monday, the IDF struck a Syrian military position near Quneitra after an anti-aircraft missile was launched at a fighter jet flying in Israeli territory. According to reports, the Israeli strike killed a Syrian officer and soldier and damaged a military vehicle.
In 2018, Syrian troops recaptured southern Syria seven years after losing the area to rebel groups at the start of that country’s civil war, and returned to their positions, along with Hezbollah operatives.
In January, the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted an Iranian-made surface-to-surface model with a 200 km. range and payload of hundreds of kilograms of explosives that was fired from the outskirts of Damascus.
According to some reports the rockets fired Saturday night appeared to have been fired from the area of Damascus, some 40 km. away, similar to the January attack the IDF said at the time was a “premeditated” attack that Iran had hoped would deter Israel from carrying out airstrikes against their assets.
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