Report: Israel Strikes Syrian Army Outposts Near Damascus

Israel on Wednesday evening struck military outposts in Syria near the capital Damascus, the Syrian observatory for human rights reported, according to Reuters.

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The report said that Syrian army outposts south of Damascus were hit by three Israeli rockets. It added that strike took place on the road leading to Daraa, without detailing the extent of the damage.

A Pro-Assad military source denied the report, claiming that there have been no Israeli armed strikes inside Syria on Wednesday, however an official response has yet to be issued. The Hezbollah TV station Al-Manar has also denied that report.

Israel has previously been accused of striking targets in Syria belonging to the Syrian military and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

If reports are true, this would be the second time Israel has struck in Israel since Russia launched its aerial campaign in the war-torn country.

The first time was in October, when Israel Air Force reportedly attacked facilities belonging to the Syrian regime and to Hezbollah forces in the Al-Qalamoun mountains, near the Lebanon border.

A month later an Israel Air Forces officer told reporters that Israel does not need anyone's permission, including Russia's, on where and when to operate in the region. “We don’t need anyone’s permission, and we make sure we do our job,” the officer said.

Last month, the Daily Beast reported that Russia is providing major supplies of arms to Hezbollah. However earlier this month Haaretz reported that Israel’s ambassador to Moscow told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Russia has assured Israel that it has not transferred and will not transfer arms to Hezbollah in the course of its military operations in Syria.