Israel airstrikes southern Syria, killing 2 and injuring 19

Tel Aviv [Israel], March 18 (ANI): At least two people were killed and 19 others injured in Israeli airstrikes on the southern Syrian province of Deraa, Al Jazeera reported, citing Syria's state news agency SANA.

The Israeli military confirmed the strikes, stating that it targeted military sites containing weapons belonging to the forces of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Israeli army "is currently striking military targets in southern Syria, including command centres and military sites containing weapons and military vehicles belonging to the old Syrian regime," an army statement said, adding that the "military assets" posed "a threat to the State of Israel".

The army further stated that it "will not allow the presence of military threats in southern Syria and will operate against it."

This is not the first time Israel has targeted the Deraa province. The area has previously been hit in similar strikes aimed at military assets.

Earlier this week, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted an airstrike on a command centre of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Damascus, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The IDF claimed that the command centre was used to "plan and direct terrorist activities" by the PIJ against Israel.

"The IAF conducted an intelligence-based strike on a terrorist command centre belonging to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organisation in Damascus. The command centre was used to plan and direct terrorist activities by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad against the State of Israel," the IDF said in a post on X.

The attack, carried out with two missiles, killed at least one person, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as per Al Jazeera.

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz said the attack shows Israel "will not allow Syria to become a threat to the state of Israel. There will be no immunity for Islamic terrorism against Israel - whether in Damascus or anywhere else," Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)