<div style="text-align: justify; "><b style="font-size: 1rem;">An Israeli air strike targeted the Syrian capital Damascus Tuesday, state media reported, the fourth such attack on government-held areas of the war-torn country since last Thursday.</b><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Our air defence intercepted hostile targets in the Damascus airspace," state news agency SANA said, referring to the Israeli missiles.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It had earlier reported "an explosion heard in the vicinity of Damascus".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said that "Israeli missiles targeted the area of the Damascus International Airport, an Iranian complex near the Sayyidah Zeinab area," and another location in al-Kiswah.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Syria's air defence intercepted at least two missiles, the Observatory said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On Sunday, two Iran-affiliated fighters were killed in an Israeli air strike on targets in Syria, according to the British-based monitor with a wide network of sources inside the country, with SANA reporting five Syrian soldiers wounded.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Israel struck early Sunday near the western Syrian city of Homs, after striking the Syrian capital Thursday and early Friday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A rare car bombing also rocked Damascus on Sunday, with no deaths reported and no side claiming responsibility.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in the war-torn country.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Syrian war broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of peaceful anti-government protests, and escalated into a deadly armed conflict that pulled in foreign powers and global jihadists.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">More than half a million people have been killed and around half of Syria's pre-war population has been forced from their homes. AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>