Syrian regime says it responded to Israeli attack

ISTANBUL

The Syrian regime said its air defenses have responded to an "Israeli aggression" targeting the Palmyra area in the central city of Homs, according to state media.

"The Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression this evening from the direction of the Al-Tanf area towards Palmyra in the countryside of Homs," state-run SANA news agency quoted an unnamed military source on Wednesday.

The Israeli attack, the report added, killed a soldier and wounded three others while also causing material loss as it targeted a communications tower and nearby areas.

Late on Wednesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the killing of four people in an attack on Iranian militias at T4 Airport, east of Homs.

The Israeli army is yet to comment on the incident.

However, the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported Thursday that the airspace in the Golan Heights was closed to civilian flights hours after reports of an attack in Syria blamed on Israel.

During the last four years, the regime-controlled areas have been subjected to frequent Israeli bombardment targeting sites used by the regime forces as well as military bases used by Iran and the militias it backs.

* Writing by Ibrahim Mukhtar