Israeli airstrike kills, injures several civilians in southwestern Syria

Several civilians have lost their lives and sustained injuries when Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike against a strategic area in Syria’s southwestern province of Dara’a, north of the border with Jordan.

The state-run al-Ikhbariyah Syria television news network said in a newsflash that the air raid took place early on Wednesday and was directed on Tel Haraa, which overlook the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Syria’s official news agency SANA later reported that the attack was launched at around 1:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2230 GMT Tuesday).

Tel Haraa was for many years a major Russian military radar outpost, until foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants overran it in 2014. Syrian government forces managed to establish full control over the strategic area last year.

On Monday, Syrian air defense systems thwarted ‘hostile’ fire in Syria’s western-central province of Hama.

The state-run television network reported that explosions were heard in the city of Masyaf, and were a result of shells launched by militant groups.

Masyaf is known to be one of the places, where Russian long range and surface-to-air S-300 missile systems are deployed.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.

In recent months, foreign-backed Takfiri terrorists have been suffering heavy defeats in battles against Syrian government forces, backed by the Russian air force and Iranian military advisers.

Israel frequently attacks positions inside Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up anti-Damascus terrorists.