Syrian army says Israel planes strike its positions in Hama province

The strike took place near the town of Masyaf early on Thursday, says an army statement

BEIRUT: Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement.

The army statement said it took place near the town of Masyaf and warned against the “dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region”.

An Israeli army spokesperson earlier declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria, saying the army does not comment on operational matters.

Israeli officials have in the past admitted that Israel has attacked weapons shipments bound for Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, without specifying which ones.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that the reported attack was not routine and targeted a Syrian military scientific centre.

“The facility at Masyaf also produces chemical weapons and explosive barrels that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians,” Yadlin said in the tweet.

There was no independent confirmation that this was the target but the United Nations has said in the past that the Syrian government has carried out chemical weapons attacks, which Damascus denies.

Israeli officials have also previously said that Israel and Russia, another Assad ally, maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria.

Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that some Israeli jets had breached Lebanese airspace.