Syria: Missile strike targets military sites in southern Damascus August 31

Event

A missile struck a military site in southern Damascus during the evening of Monday, August 31, resulting in at least two fatalities and seven injuries. Syrian state media claimed that the attack was part of a series of missile strikes on military targets in the area; however, the other missiles were intercepted by air defenses. Syrian military officials claim that the missile was fired by the Israeli military; however, the Israeli government has not commented on the incident.

Further strikes are possible in the near term, particularly in the vicinity of military targets.

Context

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes into Syrian territory since the start of the civil war in 2011, many of which have targeted arms depots and military facilities allegedly receiving arms and fighters from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Having perceived an increasing Iranian presence in Syria, Israeli attacks have increased in their frequency over the past few months, with a series of airstrikes reported on almost a weekly basis in June.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.