World
2019.08.25 09:49 GMT+8

Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander denies targets hit in Syria airstrikes

Updated 2019.08.25 22:27 GMT+8
CGTN

A senior Revolutionary Guards commander denied on Sunday that Iranian targets had been hit in Israeli airstrikes in Syria, the semi-official ILNA news agency reported.

Israeli aircraft on Saturday struck Iranian forces near Damascus that had been planning to launch "killer drones" at targets in Israel, an Israeli military spokesman said.

"This is a lie and not true... Israel and the United States do not have the power to attack Iran's various centers, and our (military) advisory centers have not been harmed," said Revolutionary Guards Major General Mohsen Rezaei, who is also the secretary of a powerful state body, ILNA reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news briefing following the talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev, Ukraine, August 19, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Israel says airstrike in Syria sends 'no immunity' message to Iran

Earlier, Israel said it launched a series of airstrikes near Damascus, thwarting a drone attack on its territory by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' elite Quds Force and Shiite militia, while Syrian military claimed that it intercepted hostile targets and destroyed all of them.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Israel's responsibility for the attacks. He tweeted: "In a major operational effort, we have thwarted an attack against Israel by the Iranian Quds Force & Shi'ite militias. I reiterate: Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces operate in every sector against the Iranian aggression."

Israel also said it had carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria against Iranian targets trying to establish a permanent military presence there and against advanced weapon shipments to Tehran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

Syrian state-run news agency SANA said Syria's military intercepted "hostile targets" in the skies above Damascus and had destroyed all missiles.

"At 23:30 our air-defense systems detected hostile targets coming from above the Golan Heights towards the vicinity of Damascus… So far, most of the hostile Israel missiles have been destroyed before they could reach their targets," a Syrian official told the SANA.

Lebanon's PM slams 'Israeli attack' over Beirut's southern suburbs

Hours after the Israeli military said its aircraft had struck Iranian forces, two drones fell in the suburbs of the Lebanese capital city of Beirut.

The first drone fell in the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut, while a second one exploded in the air causing severe damage to a media center for Hezbollah early on Sunday. 

It was in the first such incident in more than a decade. 

The Israeli military declined to comment.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri slammed the "Israeli attack" over Beirut's southern suburbs which amounted to an open attack on the country's sovereignty and an attempt to foment regional tensions.

Hariri called upon the international community to support Lebanon in protecting UN Security Council resolution 1701 against Israeli violations.

"The Lebanese government will also assume full responsibility by taking proper action against any threat to national security and stability," he said.

Source(s): Reuters
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