Sirens set off in Israel overnight as Syrian anti-aircraft missile explodes in the North

Syrian state TV said on Wednesday that one person was killed and five injured in an Israeli airstrike overnight near Damascus after an anti-aircraft missile was fired from Syria at Israeli territory.

The missile exploded mid-air and was not intercepted.

“A launch was identified from Syrian territory towards Israel. The missile exploded in the air and as such there was no need to carry out an interception,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

“Earlier this evening, following an anti-aircraft missile that was launched from Syria and exploded mid-air, the IDF struck surface-to-air missile targets in Syria. Among the targets: Syrian radar and anti-aircraft batteries that launched missiles at IAF aircrafts.”

The launch triggered air sirens heard in the northern Arab-Israeli city Umm al-Fahm and in the northern West Bank. Residents of the area reported hearing a series of explosions.

The IDF said that in response to the missile entering Israeli airspace, Israel had hit several anti-aircraft sites inside Syria, including “Syrian radar and anti-aircraft batteries that launched missiles at IAF aircraft.”

Video purportedly showing Syrian anti-aircraft missiles launched during Israeli airstrikes in the Damascus area tonight. #Israel pic.twitter.com/gLF6iCR7YO

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) February 8, 2022

According to Syrian reports, it seems there were two rounds of airstrikes in the vicinity of Damascus. This is the second alleged Israeli airstrike reported in Syria this year.

In recent years, Israel is believed to have carried out hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in Syria. However, the Israeli government rarely acknowledges such operations.