Syria Says 4 Soldiers Killed in Israeli Missile Strike Near Damascus

The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported that four Syrian soldiers were killed and three others injured early Wednesday in an Israeli missile attack on locations around the capital, Damascus. It added in a statement posted on Facebook that the attack also resulted in some material losses. Earlier, the Syrian Arab News Agency mentioned that the missiles were launched from Tiberias, noting that the Syrian air defense systems intercepted most of them. An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment on reports of the attack. For years, Israel has been conducting strikes on what it describes as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Iranian-backed forces, including Lebanese Hezbollah, have had a presence since assisting President Bashar Assad during the Syrian civil war that began in 2011.