Syrian state media reported that Israel fired several missiles toward Syrian military positions near the capital Damascus overnight Wednesday, killing three soldiers and causing material damage.
State TV quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as claiming that most of the Israeli missiles were shot down by Syrian air defenses. It added that some military positions near Damascus were hit, leaving three soldiers dead.
Syrian opposition forces reported the attack attributed to Israel focused on Syrian military and Iranian militia positions in the Damascus area. In addition, opposition forces reported the Damascus area targets were located in the vicinity of the airport and the southeastern suburb of A'Saideh Zayneb.
? شاهد || لحظة تفجير أحد الصواريخ المعادية في سماء مدينة #دمشق pic.twitter.com/sUYQ2NBa02
— الصحفي احمد الأحمد (@ahmadnews_org) February 23, 2022
The attack came a day after Damascus said that several missiles from northern Israel struck areas around the southern town of Quneitra, causing only material damage. On Wednesday, surface-to-surface missiles were reported by the Dubai-based Al Arabiya outlet to have been launched at positions in the Quneitra area. According to that report, targets included an outlook post and Syrian Finance Ministry headquarters, which Hezbollah used to establish itself on the Golan Heights front with Israel.
Earlier Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces dropped leaflets warning Syrian soldiers not to cooperate with Hezbollah in southern Syria, hours after carrying out strikes on an observation post and a "financial building" near the border town of Quneitra.
The leaflets, written in Arabic and addressed to "soldiers of the Syrian [Arab] army," resemble similar leaflets dropped in Syria in the past.
They feature the silhouette of an eagle, the symbol of the IDF's 210th Bashan Division responsible for defending Israel's border with Syria on the Golan Heights.
In the pamphlet, the Israeli military appears to take responsibility for Tuesday night's strikes, something it has not tended to do in the past.
"To the leaders and members of the Syrian army, we have warned you and continue to warn you: We will not stop as long as your cooperation with Hezbollah continues," the leaflet read.
The leaflet also directly names the Hezbollah official who Israel says facilitates relations between the Iranian-backed terror group and the Syrian army: Jawad Hasham, the son of Hajj Hasham, who heads Hezbollah's operations along the Syrian border.
The leaflet states that Syrian soldiers "repeatedly" allowed Jawad Hashem "to enter the Syrian army's infrastructure, including the finance building and the Rwihinah Base," where the strikes took place.
"Those who cooperate with Hezbollah are targets," the document warned.
