Israel hits “dozens” of Iranian targets in Syria after Golan Heights attack

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman claims “all the Iranian infrastructure” in the Arab republic was hit. “Iran must always remember that if we are going to have rain, they will flood”, he said. “I want to hope that we will be able not only to discuss with you, but also to look for solutions that would soften the situation”, said Putin.

Israel’s military says Iranian forces based in neighboring Syria fired about 20 projectiles at Israeli positions in the Golan Heights.

Several but not all of the Iranian rockets were intercepted by Israeli defences, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman, Lt Col Jonathan Conricus, told reporters.

Shortly after midnight, IDF defense systems identified approximately 20 rockets that the Iranian Quds forces had launched at IDF forward posts on the Golan Heights.

It alleged the rockets followed a “first Israeli bombardment on the town of Baath” in Quneitra province.

The Israeli and Russian militaries have been in throughout much of Russia’s intervention in Syria, where Moscow has waged an air campaign in support of Assad’s forces since 2015.

Lieutenant-Colonel Conricus said Israel forewarned Russian Federation of its strikes on Thursday, which Syrian state media first reported hit Baath City in Quneitra, near the border.

A Syrian radar installation was destroyed in the attack, Syrian state news agency SANA cited a military source as saying.

Asked whether Israel had attacked near Damascus or scrambled communications there, an Israeli military spokeswoman said: “I have no comment on that at this time”.

Meanwhile, RIA news agency reported Thursday that Russia’s defense ministry said Syria had shot down more than half of the missiles fired at it overnight by Israel.

Lieberman said that Israel is not interested in escalation.

“We’re facing a new reality”. Hesaid Iran had also been attempting to bring anti-aircraft systems close to the Israeli border.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said Israel’s strikes killed at least 23 people, including five Syrian soldiers.

There was no immediate word on Iranian casualties.

A statement from the office of the French president, Emmanuel Macron, said: “The president has been kept regularly updated”.

It does acknowledge carrying out dozens of raids in Syria to stop what it says are advanced arms deliveries to Iran-backed Hezbollah, another key foe of Israel. Israel did not officially acknowledge it was behind these attacks but it has been making preparations for possible Iranian retaliation for weeks.

Commentators suggested that the significance of the flare-up between the region’s two arch enemies came in its timing – hours after Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal his predecessor helped draw up.

It has launched numerous airstrikes against Syrian government-controlled territories, targeting alleged Iranian positions, RT reported. Following the lengthy meeting, Mr. Netanyahu stated, “I have just finished nearly ten hours in the company of President Putin”.