The Israeli military said it attacked the missile launcher and air defense systems in Syria in response to a missile fired from the neighboring country that fired airstrikes at its nuclear reactor.
The Associated Press reported that Syria’s strike in Israel probably involved Iran, which has troops and proxies in Syria. The attacks mark the most serious violence between Israel and Syria in several years.
The Israeli military would not say whether the incoming missile was intercepted by its missile defense system, but said there was no reported damage.
The Syrian state news agency reported that four soldiers had been injured in the Israeli strike near Damascus.
Iran did not claim any responsibility or comment. The AP notes that a hardline Iranian newspaper published an opinion piece over the weekend of an analyst suggesting heading to Israel’s nuclear facility after Tehran blamed a blackout an Israeli attack on its Natanz nuclear site earlier this month.
prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE has said Israel will not allow Iran to develop the capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Iran has stated that its nuclear program has peaceful purposes.
Thursday’s incident comes amid US attempts to reactivate the international nuclear deal with Iran.