Israel targets ‘terrorist’ in southern Syria; Damascus condemns attack

Tensions between Israel and Syria flared this week after Israel bombed an airbase, a move US special envoy Tom Barrack called ‘unnecessary’

Israel said it targeted a “terrorist” in southern Syria on Saturday in what Syria’s foreign ministry said was a drone strike on a civilian vehicle on the outskirts of Damascus in a “blatant” violation of its territory.

The Syrian foreign ministry said the drone had hit a vehicle on a road near Beit Jinn village in the countryside west of the capital, which caused injuries among civilians.

Syrian state television reported one person was injured.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it fired in southern Syria towards what it described as a terrorist, whose activity posed an immediate threat to its soldiers. It did not say how it fired.

Syria’s foreign ministry said the strike was part of a pattern of repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory and was a “blatant violation” of its sovereignty.

It held Israel accountable for the consequences of such actions.