Air defenses of the Assad regime have seized an Israeli attack on numerous areas in northwestern Syria, comprising the port city of Latakia along the Mediterranean coast, killing one person and wounding six, media outlets of the Assad regime held. The Israeli attack on Wednesday also hit the town of Hifa, east of Latakia, and Masyaf in Hama province.
An unnamed military source was quoted by the local news agency as saying that the attack took place at 2:18 am targeting southwest Latakia and other “coastal areas”. “Our air defense units confronted the aggressor’s missiles and dropped some of them,” he said.
Earlier, media has reported explosions near Latakia, which were heard by residents across the city and its outskirts. According to media reports, a civilian plastics factory was hit in Latakia city, causing material damage.
Those wounded in the attack were all civilians, and among them was a woman and her son.
Latakia is a Syrian government stronghold and is the ancestral home of Bashar al-Assad.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment. Israel has launched hundreds of attacks against what it calls Iran-linked military targets in Syria over the years but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.
It was the first Israeli attack on Syria since a missile fired by Damascus struck deep inside Israel two weeks ago. The missile landed in southern Israel on April 22, prompting Israel to respond with airstrikes on the missile launcher and other targets in Syria.
Iran has been a key ally of al-Assad’s government throughout the civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and erupted after the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Al-Assad’s government has never publicly acknowledged there are Iranian forces operating on its behalf in Syria’s civil war.
