Two Hizbullah Members Killed In Air Raid Near Damascus

Two Hizbullah members were killed during air strikes near Damascus that were alleged to have been carried out by the Israeli air force, Al Arabiya reported Monday.

Syrian opposition sources said on Monday that the strikes destroyed a storage facility housing anti-aircraft missiles and drones belonging to Hizbullah and disrupted the power supply to Damascus International Airport.

Russia on Monday demanded an explanation from Israel, which it blamed for the attack. At the same time, the Syrian and Iranian foreign ministers called it an act of aggression that proves Israel is “in the same trench” with extremist groups fighting the Syrian government.

Israel would make no official confirmation or denial, in keeping with its policy on such matters.

However, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz reiterated on Israel Radio that Israel remains committed to keeping “game-changing” and ultra-sophisticated weaponry from falling into the hands of terrorists.

Steinitz dismissed accusations from opposition parties that the attacks were approved by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for political purposes, calling them “absurd” and an “insult to the intelligence.”

Syria’s reaction has been relatively low-key; in previous cases, Damascus has vowed to retaliate, though without actually doing so.

Israel has already struck inside Syria on several occasions in the course of the country’s chaotic civil war, including a series of airstrikes near Damascus in May 2013. Those strikes, according to Israeli officials, targeted shipments of Iranian-made Fateh-110 missiles bound for the Lebanese Hizbullah militant group.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Moscow “is deeply concerned about this dangerous development which requires a detailed investigation.”

This article appeared in print on page 1 of the December 9th, 2014 edition of Hamodia.