Israeli missile attack hits high-security district in Syrian capital

Workers and people stand near a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. REUTERS/Firas Makdesi

DAMASCUS (Reuters) -Several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district in Syria’s capital Damascus on Wednesday, Syrian state media reported.

The neighbourhood hosts residential buildings, schools and Iranian cultural centres, and lies near a large, heavily-guarded complex used by security agencies. The district was targeted in an Israeli attack in February 2023 that killed Iranian military experts.

A view shows a damaged building after, according to Syrian state media reports, several Israeli missiles hit a residential building in the Kafr Sousa district, Damascus, Syria February 21, 2024. SANA/Handout via REUTERS

Syrian state news agency SANA said an “Israeli attack” had targeted a residential building but made no mention of casualties. It published an image of the charred side of a multi-storey building.

Witnesses heard several back-to-back explosions. The blasts scared children at a nearby school and ambulances rushed to the area, the witnesses told Reuters.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Iran has been a major backer of President Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s nearly 12-year conflict. Its support for Damascus and the Lebanese group Hezbollah has drawn regular Israeli air strikes meant to curb Tehran’s extraterritorial military power.

(Reporting by Kinda Makieh and Firas Makdesi in Damascus, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Jana Choukeir in Dubai and Maya Gebeily in Beirut; Editing by Andrew Heavens)