BEIRUT: Syrian
air defenses shot down Israeli missiles near the capital Damascus on Tuesday,
local state media reported, while Israel said it was protecting itself from
anti-aircraft fire. The official Syrian news agency SANA said air defenses
"intercepted hostile missiles launched by the Israeli warplanes" from
over Lebanese territories, citing a military source.

It added that the
majority of them were downed before reaching their targets near the capital Damascus.
Three soldiers were injured and an ammunition depot damaged. Israel has
previously carried out several bombings in Syria against what it says are
Iranian military targets and advanced arms deliveries to Hezbollah, the
Iranian-backed Lebanese group, both enemies of the Jewish state. Many of them
have been in the area south of Damascus.

An Israeli
military spokeswoman declined to comment on reports of a strike in Syria when
contacted by AFP. But it added in a statement: "An aerial defense system went
off against an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria. No damage or injuries
were reported." The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war
monitor also reported "an Israeli raid".

"Missiles
fired from Israeli planes targeted... arms depots southwest and south of
Damascus that belong to Hezbollah or Iranian forces," said Rami Abdel
Rahman. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed not to let Tehran
-- a supporter of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad -- from entrenching itself militarily
in the war-torn country. Experts say Israel is to be greatly affected by US
President Donald Trump's announcement of a withdrawal of American forces from
Syria, as it would leave the area open to Iran and its partners to develop
their military capacity.

There have been
warnings from Israel and others that Iran is seeking to form a "land
bridge" across to the Mediterranean, and some analysts have said that the
US withdrawal could help that effort. Yet Israeli officials, who have
previously applauded Trump's policy in the Middle East, have stressed that it
has long managed that front alone. If confirmed, Tuesday's reported strike
would be the first by Israel since the US withdrawal was announced. At the end
of November Syria said its air defenses had targeted and downed a number of
"hostile targets" over the Kisweh area south of Damascus. - AFP