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Breaking: Second wave of Israeli strikes on targets in Syria in less than 24 hours. Regime outlet SANA reports air defenses have been activated in Damascus.
Earlier today, IDF officials stated that Syria's decision to fire a ground-to-ground missile (intercepted by the Iron Dome system) was unacceptable. Tonight's strikes likely a message to Assad: you needs to absorb strikes, can use harmless anti-aircraft weapons, but nothing else.
Israel officially acknowledging it is carrying out strikes in Syria right now. @IDFSpokesperson: "IDF is striking targets of the Iranian Qods Force in Syrian territory. IDF warns the Syrian army against attempts to strike Israeli territory or harm our forces."
@IDFSpokesperson This statement is consistent with Israeli strikes in Syria that are retaliatory (in this case, to a single missile being fired). Israel similarly announced strikes during the wave of dozens of retaliatory strikes after Iranian-linked forces fired 20 rockets at Israel in May 2018.
@IDFSpokesperson See IDF announcement re: Israeli strikes in May 2018 including a map of locations hit after Iranian-linked groups fired rockets at Israel. Israel is willing to remain silent when encountering AA fire, but not attacks on Israeli-controlled land bit.ly/2wrthwZ (Hebrew)
Israeli Channel 13: Syrian Army is launching dozens of surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets bombing around Damascus. Israeli air defense systems in northern Israel activated.
Damascus tonight, as Syrian Army air defense batteries attempt to intercept missiles fired by Israel/hit jets. They very rarely succeed in doing so.
Video published by SANA's (regime news agency) Telegram channel
Video published by SANA's (regime news agency) Telegram channel
Syrian opposition websites are reporting sounds of explosions and hits across a wife range of targets in south-western Syria. Most such outlets do not have good sources in regime-controlled Syria & in the past incorrectly reported on strikes that never happened. Caution advised.
IDF officials were briefing Israeli reporters earlier today that Israel will be retaliating against the surface-to-air missile launch (in response to Israeli strikes on al-Kisweh). Israel has not and does not shy away from claiming strikes that it sees as retaliatory.
Another example for such Israeli claims of responsibility: in February 2018 Israel carried out strikes across Syria after Syrian air defenses shot down an Israeli jet that was bombing Syria. Israel claimed the attacks right away bit.ly/2FP4nKH (Heb)
Syrian regime outlet (SANA) claims most Israeli missiles were shot down, which necessarily means most of them hit and destroyed intended targets. If Israel doesn't release footage tonight, in a few days we'll have satellite images (follow @QalaatAlMudiq for those).
Video from Damascus tonight. Syrian air defenses aimlessly firing into the air, hitting nothing. Video shared by SANA Telegram channel.
A local and credible page in Sweidaa' is reporting Israel bombed the radar site of the Syrian military's air defenses in al-Kafr, south-east of Sweidaa' city. 8 soldiers were injured in the strike bit.ly/2FL5efI (Ar)
The same post reports that 2 soldiers who were injured in the strike on the al-Kafr radar site died due to injuries. @WithinSyriaBlog also reported on the death of 2 soldiers due to Israeli strikes.
Similarly to previous "retaliatory" strikes in Syria, Israel released footage of some of the strikes last night, plus a map of the locations hit. Video of a Pantsir system being destroyed: 
IDF Spokesperson: Iran is responsible for the firing of the ground-to-ground missile (following Israeli day-time raids near Damascus) yesterday. IDF bombed Iranian-linked targets and surface-to-air missile batteries operated by the Syrian Army
