Israel 'intercepts rocket from Syria following Damascus airstrike'

Syrian air defences responded to Israeli air raids in the south of the country, state news agency SANA reported quoting a military source on Sunday, before Israel announced it intercepted a rocket over the Golan Heights fired from Syria.

The air defence systems "prevented Israeli airstrikes from achieving their objectives in the south" of the country, the report said without giving further details.

The head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman, said the region targeted was south of Damascus near the Kisweh area.

"Warehouses containing weapons for Syrian regime ally Hizballah and Iranian fighters are located in that area," said Abdel Rahman, adding however it was not clear if they were hit in the Israeli strikes.

Following Syria’s response, Israel’s military said its air defence systems intercepted a rocket fired from Syria on Sunday.

"A short while ago, a rocket was fired at the northern Golan Heights and was intercepted by the 'Iron Dome' aerial defence system," an Israeli military statement said.

A military spokeswoman told AFP the rocket was fired from Syria, although no further details were provided.

The latest tit-for-tat comes a week after Israel carried out an airstrike that it said targeted Iranian weapons in Syria.

The January 12 raids were confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu who said "warehouses containing Iranian weapons in the Damascus International airport" were hit.

It was a rare public confirmation by Israel of such attacks.

Netanyahu said Israel had attacked Iranian targets - and those of its Lebanese ally Hizballah - in Syria hundreds of times.

Israel has pledged to prevent Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where its arch foe Iran is backing President Bashar al-Assad's regime alongside Russia and Hizballah.

SANA said earlier that last week's Israeli strikes were foiled and that the country's air defences had shot down Israeli missiles which were aimed at the international airport near Damascus.

"Only a ministry of transport warehouse at Damascus international airport was hit," SANA said at the time citing a military source.

The Observatory said those strikes were near the airport and the Kisweh region.

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