Four Syria soldiers killed in Israeli strikes near Damascus: state media

DAMASCUS - Four Syrian soldiers were killed and four others wounded in Israeli air strikes near the capital Damascus early Monday, state media said, citing a military source.

"At 2:20 am (2320 GMT Sunday), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting areas in the vicinity of Damascus," state news agency SANA reported.

The attack killed "four soldiers and wounded four others", it said, reporting unspecified material damage and adding that Syrian air defences intercepted some of the missiles.

An AFP correspondent in the capital reported hearing the sound of explosions.

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its archfoe Iran to expand its footprint there. - AFP