Israel’s Air Force (IAF) carried out a series of airstrikes near the Damascus International Airport in Syria early Thursday morning, Arab media reported.
The Hezbollah-linked Al Mayadeen television channel reported a huge blast at the airport, causing a fire.
Footage of the explosion emerged on social media with reports suggesting the incident was caused by the IAF.
Hezbollah’s Al-Manar news reported an explosion at a fuel tank and warehouses and that massive material damage was caused by the strike, but that there were no reports of casualties.
However, there are other reports in Arab media that a senior Hezbollah commander and members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were killed and another nine wounded in the attack.
Al-Masdar news reported there were as much as five airstrikes against or in the vicinity of the airport.
The explosion was heard across the capital, jolting residents awake, the head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, (SOHR) Rami Abdurrahman said.
The airport is used for civilian and military flights.
Reuters cited regional intelligence sources that said the alleged Israeli airstrike hit Hezbollah’s arms depot in the airport, where Iran operates an air corridor for supplying allies in Syria.
The Syrian regime acknowledged the attack and accused Israel of supporting “terrorists” fighting within Syria.
Israel has officially remained silent, as has been its conduct in previous such incidents.
However, speaking on IDF Radio, Israeli Minister Yisrael Katz said the reports of an Israeli strike in Syria are in line with Israel’s policy of attacking weapons shipments meant for Hezbollah, basically confirming the reports.
A senior Israeli military official told reporters at a special briefing on Tuesday that the IAF attacked and destroyed 100 Syrian missiles that were on their way to Hezbollah in Lebanon in March. The IAF planes were fired at on their way back, and Israel launched an Arrow interceptor during the incident, for the first time.
The officer added that this operation against Hezbollah was not the first time Israel has operated in Syria.
The officer concluded by pointing to what he thinks is the most serious threat against Israel – Hezbollah.
There have been several previous reports of IAF airstrikes on Syrian targets, primarily against weapons shipments from Iran en route for Hezbollah in Lebanon.