Israeli Missile Strike Kills at Least 4 Soldiers near Damascus

According to Syria's defence ministry, four Syrian soldiers were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli missile attack on positions near Damascus that a war monitor reported damaged an armaments storage.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, five Syrian troops and four soldiers of other nationalities were killed; the strike targeted at least five distinct points outside of the capital.

The monitor did not disclose any information, and Reuters was unable to validate its report immediately.

A representative for the Israeli military declined to comment.

According to a Facebook post by the Syrian Ministry of Defense, the strike inflicted material damage.

According to Syria's state news agency, the missiles were launched from the town of Tiberias in northern Israel, with the majority of them being shot down by Syrian air defences.

Syria's military has relied on ally soldiers from Iran and Russia, as well as paramilitaries from Iraq, Lebanon, and Afghanistan, to reclaim territory lost since the country's civil war began in 2011.

Israel has repeatedly targeted Iranian-linked sites in Syria, viewing them as extensions of Tehran's power.

According to state media, its most recent strikes on April 14 targeted regions outside Damascus but resulted in no casualties.

A pro-government commander did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Israeli strikes targeting his positions or killing any of his fighters occurred early Wednesday.