Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit Syria for first time since Hamas war began

Syria regularly accuses Israel of striking its territories, the latest occurring during a regional tour by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Syrian air defense batteries respond to what the Syrian state media said were Israeli missiles targeting Damascus, January 21, 2019.
Syrian air defense batteries respond to what the Syrian state media said were Israeli missiles targeting Damascus, January 21, 2019. - STR/AFP via Getty Images
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Adam Lucente
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Suspected Israeli airstrikes hit Syria on Thursday, the first such attacks since the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas began.

SANA, Syria’s official news outlet, reported airstrikes hitting the Damascus and Aleppo airports around 1:50 pm local time. The attacks damaged the airports’ landing strips, putting them out of service, according to the outlet.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Syrian air defenses had responded to the strikes. Neither the observatory nor SANA immediately reported any casualties.

Israel did not immediately comment.

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