WarSclerotic

Syrian state media said late Thursday that Syrian air defenses were triggered by Israeli fighter jets that had allegedly bombed three Iranian positions in Syria.

The Syrian defense systems “engaged and destroyed ‎hostile targets” near the capital of Damascus, the report said.

Syria’s pro-government al-Masdar news service said ‎the Syrian army fired several missiles to fend off ‎an attack near the Kisweh region. ‎

Other Arab outlets offered conflicting reports on the number of casualties in the ‎strike, with some saying there were no casualties and others reporting multiple casualties.

‎”Our air defenses confronted a hostile target and ‎destroyed it west of Damascus,” the Syrian Arab News ‎Agency quoted a military source as saying.‎

It added that Syrian air defenses were able to ‎intercept three missiles and an enemy drone. ‎

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment ‎‎‎on the SANA report.‎ ‎

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad have ‎‎recovered the bulk of the country from rebel and ‎‎militant forces after more than seven years of civil war, ‎‎helped by Russian air power and Iran-backed ‎‎militias. ‎

Earlier this week, Syrian forces regained control of ‎the country’s entire southwest, near the Golan Heights ‎border with Israel.‎

Driven by concern over Iran’s growing presence in ‎‎Syria and the threat it poses to Israel’s security, the Israeli military has targeted ‎‎dozens of Iranian and Iran-backed positions in Syria ‎‎over the course of the seven-year conflict.‎

The Kisweh region is known to house Iranian-backed ‎militias and Revolutionary Guards troops, as well as ‎the Syrian army’s 10th Division.‎

On Thursday, Israel said it had launched an airstrike that killed seven Islamic ‎State terrorists who approached the Israel-Syria ‎border.