Syrian Military Accuses Israel of Carrying Out Two Airstrikes Near Damascus

The Syrian military has accused Israel of carrying out two airstrikes near the Damascus international airport and the town of Dimas, the BBC reports.

“They appear to have been mainly aimed at preventing weapons transfers to Syria’s allies in Lebanon, the militant Hezbollah movement,” wrote BBC News.

According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 10 explosions were heard near Dimas and a storage facility at the Damascus was allegedly hit. Israeli jets were seen flying over parts of Lebanon on Sunday, about 20 miles from the sites of the alleged attacks.

No casualties were reported in airstrikes that the Syrian military described as “direct aggression” perpetrated to help its opponents. Israel’s military did not respond to Syria’s accusation.

Israel has conducted several airstrikes on Syria since 2011, mostly destroying weaponry believed to be destined for Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.

Syrian Government Troops Repel ISIS Attack on Military Airport in Eastern Syria

Syrian Troops repelled a bid by ISIS to take a key military airport in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the Daily Star reports.

Government troops launched at least 11 strikes against ISIS targets in and around the city on Sunday, targeting Deir Ezzor and the outskirts of the airport, in addition to the nearby villages of Jafra and Hatleh, according to the paper.

The Deir Ezzor base is a key government asset from which planes mount raids on positions throughout Syria. ISIS is in control of large swaths of territory in Deir Ezzor province, but half of its capital remains in government possession.

In other parts of the country, government troops took control of the area of Breij, northeast of Aleppo city, putting them much closer to closing in on rebel groups in the east of the city.

“There is a very real threat that the opposition’s supply route will be cut off,” Rami Abdel-Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP.

Meanwhile, Jabhat al-Nusra has taken full control of a military residential compound in Deraa city, after it reportedly set off two suicide bombs on Sunday, Al Jazeera reports. With those gains, the group is now closer to capturing the town of Azraa, “one of the last defense lines of Bashar al-Assad’s regime before Damascus province,” according to the news channel.

Lebanese Gunmen Open Fire on Syrian Refugee Tents

Lebanese gunmen opened fire and burned Syrian refugee tents in northern Lebanon over the weekend, wounding two refugees, Reuters reports.

The attacks came two days after a Lebanese soldier held captive by Jabhat al-Nusra was killed on Friday, the fourth to be killed by militants from the group.

Spillover from the Syrian conflict has repeatedly struck neighboring Lebanon, home to the highest per capita concentration of refugees in the world.

Around 1.1 million Syrians have fled to Lebanon, according to the United Nations, prompting requests from the government to help deal with the influx that is placing a huge strain on its infrastructure and local communities. Last month Lebanon said it will no longer accept Syrian refugees.

Resentment against Syrian refugees has grown amid claims that the displaced population is hiding militants to stage assaults on the Lebanese army. Violence against Syrian refugees has spread as the Lebanese army has battled Syria-based fighters, including Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS.

Recommended Reads:

• Al Jazeera: Syrian Rebels Make Gains in Deraa
• Financial Times: 2014 Seasonal Appeals: Syria’s Stolen Childhoods
• Guardian: Take in Syrian Refugees, Aid Agencies Tell Rich Countries
• Al Jazeera: Syrian Gunmen Capture Lebanese Soldiers
• Al Arabiya: Syrian Forces ‘Use Chlorine Gas’ on ISIS