An Israeli missile struck a building in Syria’s capital Damascus that was housing senior security officials, killing at least 15 people on Sunday.
The targeted strike hit the densely-populated Kafr Sousa, home to senior officials, security agencies and intelligence headquarters.
“At 00:22 am (2222 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights targeting several areas in Damascus and its vicinity, including residential neighbourhoods,” Syria’s defence ministry said in a statement.
The initial toll recorded by the Syrian government was five dead and 15 injured, including civilians. Later, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights pegged the casualties to 15, reports AFP news agency.
It was not immediately clear whether the strike was aimed at a specific individual.
A video shared by state media purportedly showed that a 10-storey building was badly damaged in the attack, crushing the structure of its lower floors.
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The Sunday strike comes more than a month after an Israeli missile strike hit Damascus International Airport, killing four people, including two soldiers.
Israel has been carrying out hundreds of air strikes against its neighbour since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011. It has primarily targeted Syrian army installations, Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, allies of the Syrian regime.
It is believed that these attacks are part of an escalation of what has been a low-intensity conflict whose main aim was to slow down Iran’s growing entrenchment in Syria.
So far, Israel’s military has not made any comment on the missile strike.
It comes as the Syrian government is recovering from the devastating February 6 earthquake, which killed more than 43,000 people.
(With inputs from agencies)
