Syrian air defenses engage ‘hostile targets’ over Homs & Quneitra

Missiles and bullets tore up the sky above the Syrian cities of Homs and Quneitra shortly after midnight, as air defenses engaged what state media described as “enemy targets” identified as Israeli warplanes or rockets.

Footage posted on social media in the early minutes of Thursday showed flashes of anti-aircraft weapons and the thunder of missile launches over the city, located in central Syria near the border with Lebanon, about halfway between Damascus and Aleppo.

Israel has not officially acknowledged the operation, but IDF warplanes were spotted earlier flying over Lebanon, so the Syrian reports seem likely to be accurate. The government in Tel Aviv has routinely launched air and missile strikes at “Iranian targets” in Syria over the past several years.

The SANA news agency also reported Israeli strikes near Quneitra, in the Golan Heights. The area was reportedly heavily scouted by Israeli drones on Wednesday.

There have been no reports of explosions or casualties on the ground as of yet. Syrian media claimed at least one “hostile object” had been intercepted in the air, which would be consistent with a missile fired by Israeli planes from inside Lebanese airspace.

Reports from Homs say the Israeli missiles targeted Dabaa Military Airport, east of the city of Qusair. According to the Syrian Army, none of the missiles reached their target. This could not be independently confirmed.

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