At least 2 dead in Israel strike on Syrian capital: monitor, state media

DAMASCUS

At least two people were killed Wednesday in an Israeli attack on the Syrian capital, a war monitor said and state media said.

"At least two dead in a provisional toll from the Israeli air attack on a residential apartment in the Kafr Sousa district" of Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, with state television also reporting "at least two" killed.

The district is home to a number of security and military headquarters.

State news agency SANA published images of the purported aftermath of the attack, showing the outside of multi-story building partially blackened and windows blown out, with a fire visible in one apartment that appeared to have been targeted.

Since Syria's civil war broke out in 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour, mainly targeting Iran-backed forces, including Hezbollah militants as well as Syrian army positions.

The strikes have increased since Israel's war with Hamas began on Oct. 7, and several attacks have been reported this month.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes but has repeatedly said it will not allow Iran — which backs President Bashar al-Assad's government and Lebanon's powerful Hamas ally Hezbollah — to expand its presence in Syria.

On Feb. 3, Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said the military had attacked more than 50 Hezbollah targets in Syria and 3,400 in Lebanon since the start of the Gaza war.