Syrian air defence downs Israeli missiles: State media

Damascus, June 12

Syrian air defence shot down a number of Israeli missiles targeting the south of the country early Wednesday, the official Sana news agency said.

The attack was launched around 2 am local time (2300 GMT Tuesday) against the Tall al-Hara sector located near the Golan Heights, according to Sana, which said there had been no casualties.

The agency did not specify what had been targeted in the strikes.

Sana also accused Israel of conducting an "electronic war" and "jamming" Syrian radar.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, targeting forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad and the regime's allies Iran and Hezbollah.

Earlier this month, Israel struck multiple positions held by regime forces over a period of 24 hours, killing 15 combatants according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In January it launched strikes on Iranian positions in Syria in what it said was a response to an Iranian missile strike from inside the country.

That attack killed 21, mostly Iranians.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs Assad in the country's eight-year war, which has left more than 370,000 people dead and displaced millions. —AFP