Israeli missiles strike airport near Syrian presidential palace
Second time in eight days that Israeli jets had targeted positions outside Damascus
A barrage of Israeli missiles struck an airbase outside Damascus overnight without causing any casualties, Syrian state media reported on Wednesday. According to the Al-Mayadeen television channel, the jets targeted the Mezzeh military airport, which neighbours President Bashar al Assad's palace. Loud explosions in the Mezzeh neighbourhood were also reported on social media.
Syrian State news agency SANA said the missiles were fired from a position "west of Tal Abu Nada", a mountain in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights known as Mount Avital in Israel. "At 3:00 am (01:00 GMT) the Israeli enemy fired several surface to surface missiles from inside occupied territory," the state news agency SANA said, citing a military source. The media agency said the missiles caused a fire but no casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, earlier reported the sounds of explosions in the area of the airbase and said fires had erupted inside the facility afterwards. It did not confirm the source of the explosions.
The Mezzeh airbase, less than eight kilometres (five miles) southwest of Damascus, hosts the headquarters of the feared air force intelligence service and its notorious prison.
It was the second time in eight days that Israel, which is technically still at war with Syria, had targeted positions outside Damascus. Last week, Damascus alleged that Israeli jets attacked west of Damascus, with reports in Arab media saying an arms convoy intended for Hezbollah was the target.
The news came amid tensions along Israel's northern border after clashes between the Israeli army and militants affiliated with the Islamic State group........