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Smoke rises in the countryside of Damascus, Syria, on Saturday October 30, 2021, following what Syrian state media said was an Israeli airstrike. Image Credit: AP

Beirut: Syrian state media said the country’s air defences responded on Saturday to missiles fired from Israel toward suburbs of the capital Damascus.

State TV gave no further details about the missile attack. Israeli attacks on Syria have mostly happened during nighttime.

Saturday’s strikes came days after Syria accused Israel of carrying out an attack in the country’s south, without offering details.

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes against Iran-linked military targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.

Israel has acknowledged it is targeting bases of Iran-allied militias, such as the powerful Lebanese militant Hezbollah group. It is going after arms shipments believed to be bound for the group. Hezbollah is fighting on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces in the civil war.

Israel views Iranian entrenchment on its northern frontier as a red line, and it has repeatedly struck Iran-linked facilities and weapons convoys destined for Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group.