Intercepting Israeli Air Strikes, Syrian Air Defense Systems Shoot Down Most Launched Missiles

Illustration of Israel's MLRS rocket launcher. (Wikimedia Commons/Israeli Defense Forces Spokesperson's Unit.)

JAKARTA - Air defense systems successfully intercepted an Israeli airstrike over the Syrian city of Homs, official media said on Wednesday.

"An Israeli air aggression targeted parts of the central region, and the air defenses responded," state media reported, citing Reuters November 24.

Four soldiers were injured and there was material damage, state media reported, citing military sources. There was no immediate comment from Israeli officials.

Meanwhile, citing The Jerusalem Post from SANA News Agency, the airstrikes were carried out from northeast Beirut. The report claims most of the missiles were shot down by Syrian air defenses.

The airstrike came exactly a week after the Israeli military (IDF) fired two missiles from the Golan Heights, targeting an empty building south of Damascus.

One of the missiles was shot down and no damage was caused, according to the report. It was not clear whether the missile was fired from the plane or surface-to-surface.

A week before the attack, two Syrian soldiers were injured and material damage was caused by an alleged Israeli airstrike targeting a site in the city of Homs.

To note, the Syrian air defense system battery has the ability to respond more quickly to Israeli air attacks over the past year. This made the Israeli military change its strategy by deploying more fighter jet formations, so that it could target more targets in one flight mission.