Israeli rocket fire near Aleppo: state media

July 16, 2018

Israeli rockets have hit a Syrian military position near Nairab airport on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syrian state media are reporting.

Syria's state news agency SANA has quoted a military source as saying the strikes were an attempt by Israel to support rebels in southern Syria, where Syrian government forces have been waging an offensive.

"The Zionist enemy ... targets one of our military sites north of Nairab airport, causing only material damage," SANA reports, quoting a military source.

An Israeli military spokesman declined to comment on the report.

Israel, concerned that Iran's growing presence in Syria is a threat to its security, has struck dozens of Iranian and Iran-backed positions in Syria over the course of the seven-year conflict.

Iran is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and backs a number of militias, including Lebanon's Hezbollah, fighting in support of Assad.