Syria on Tuesday accused Israel of bombing military positions in the Western province of Hama and the coastal city of Tartus.
Syrian and Arab media outlets reported of casualties in the strikes, but their numbers varied: Syrian state media said three people were killed and 23 others were wounded in the strike, while other Arab outlets said one person was killed and four were wounded.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three Syrian soldiers were killed and 23 people – 14 Syrian and nine Iranians – were injured.
An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to respond, saying the IDF does not comment on foreign media reports.
The Syrian military said its air defenses successfully intercepted several missiles launched by Israeli warplanes.
Citing a military source, the Syrian Arab News Agency said that Israeli aircraft had targeted "our military positions in the provinces of Tartous and Hama. … Syrian air defenses confronted and downed five of the enemy's rockets."
Damascus often inflates the number of missiles it intercepts.
The Syrian accusations came shortly after Lebanese media reported that Israeli fighter jets had breached Beirut's airspace and were flying in low and medium altitudes.
This fueled speculations in the Syrian media that the alleged Israeli strike was carried out from Lebanese airspace and targeted Iranian assets in neighboring Syria, including weapon arsenals and a research center.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said several explosions had been heard in the areas around Masyaf and Wadi al-Uyoun near Hama city, and around the coastal city of Tartous, targeting areas with Iranian military facilities.
Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen TV, which is affiliated with Hezbollah – Iran's regional proxy – said Israeli fighter jets "released countermeasures against anti-aircraft fire" and "withdrew towards the sea at the same time as the sounds of explosions were heard in Hama countryside."
On Tuesday, a senior Israeli official said Israel has carried out more than 200 airstrikes against Iranian assets in Syria over the past two years.
