Four Syrian soldiers killed by Israeli strikes: state media

Israeli strikes on Saturday morning killed four Syrian regime soldiers and wounded one in central and western districts, Syrian state media reported.

"At about 06:30 am (0330 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack" which resulted in "the death of four soldiers, the wounding of one soldier and material losses", a military source told the regime-controlled SANA news agency.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes targeted pro-Iranian groups in Homs and Hama provinces, hitting weapons and ammunition sites.

Israel also targeted a Syrian air defence battery in Latakia province, it added.

Israel rarely comments on such reports, but it has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory since civil war broke out there in 2011, targeting government positions as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.

Israel has repeatedly said it will not allow its archfoe Iran to gain a foothold there.

Israeli strikes targeting the Shayrat airbase on November 8, 2021 wounded two Syrian regime soldiers, according to Syrian state media.

As recently as late October, four pro-Iranian fighter were killed during Israeli strikes on several positions near Damascus, said the Observatory, which relies on a wide network of sources in Syria.