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Israel pounds Iranian sites in Syria after missile launched at Golan Heights

Just one day after Iranian fighter jets fired a surface-to-surface missile at the Golan Heights, Israeli warplanes launched a massive attack on numerous Iranian targets in Syria.

Israeli soldiers guard at the Israeli side of the Quneitra Crossing, in the Israeli Syrian border, in the Golan Heights on Oct. 15, 2018, as it reopens after four years. Photo by Basel Awidat/Flash90.
Israeli soldiers guard at the Israeli side of the Quneitra Crossing, in the Israeli Syrian border, in the Golan Heights on Oct. 15, 2018, as it reopens after four years. Photo by Basel Awidat/Flash90.

Just one day after Iranian fighter jets fired a surface-to-surface missile at the Golan Heights, Israeli warplanes launched a massive attack on numerous Iranian targets in Syria on Monday.

Among the locations hit were a site at the Damascus International Airport, munition storage facilities, an Iranian military training camp and an Iranian intelligence site, according to the Israel Defense Forces. These reprisals killed an estimated 11 pro-regime soldiers.

According to the IDF, the sites belonged to the Iranian Quds Force, which conducts Iranian Revolutionary Guards operations abroad.

Reports indicate that Israel also attacked Syrian defense batteries after pilots came under fire from anti-aircraft missiles during the strike. Russian Interfax news reported that Syrian military defenses warded off more than 30 Israeli cruise missiles and guided bombs.

The attacks came after Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system intercepted a missile aimed at the Golan Heights. The popular Mount Hermon ski attraction was closed for the day, with witnesses reporting that they could see the rocket enter Israeli skies, as well as its interception by Iron Dome.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday, “we have a permanent policy to strike at the Iranian entrenchment in Syria and hurt whoever tries to harm us.”

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