ISTANBUL

The Israeli army carried out an airstrike targeting an area near the presidential palace in the Syrian capital Damascus, it announced Friday.

In a statement, Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that “fighter jets moments ago struck the area adjacent to the palace of (Syrian President) Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa in Damascus.”

No immediate comment was made by Syrian authorities on the reported strike, and further details on casualties or material damage were not immediately available.

The airstrike comes amid heightened tensions across the region and frequent Israeli aggression in Syrian territory, which Tel Aviv claims is aimed at preventing Iranian entrenchment and blocking arms shipments to Hezbollah.