Syria says Israeli strike near Damascus kills 3 soldiers

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel fired several missiles toward Syrian military positions near the capital Damascus early Thursday, killing three soldiers and causing material damage, state media reported.

State TV quoted an unnamed Syrian military official as saying that most of the Israeli missiles were shot down by Syrian air defenses. It added that some military positions near Damascus were hit, leaving three soldiers dead.

The attack came a day after Syria said that several missiles from northern Israel struck areas around the southern town of Quneitra, causing only material damage.

Israel did not comment on the attack. It has made hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria during its past decade of civil war, but rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations.

Israel has acknowledged, however, that it targets bases of Iran-allied militias, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah that fights on the side of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.