Israel says it attacks Hezbollah arms smuggling routes in Syria
PHOTO CAPTION: An Israeli F-35 combat aircraft is seen in the skies over Israel's border with Lebanon, in northern Israel, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Ammar Awad
(Reuters) -An Israeli attack targeted the area of Qusayr in the southern countryside of Homs province in central Syria, Syria's state media said on Wednesday.
Later on Wednesday, the Israeli military said it attacked routes between Syria and Lebanon used to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Syria.
Israel said it has been carrying out such strikes to reduce the transfer of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.
Syrian media said that air defences intercepted "hostile" targets over the Homs countryside.
The Israeli air attack targeted bridges on the Syrian-Lebanese border in the Qusayr area, causing significant damage and putting them out of service, Syrian state media said, citing a military source.
Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by militant group Hamas on Israel.
(Reporting by Yomna Ehab and Jaidaa Taha; Editing by Ros Russell and Cynthia Osterman)
