Israeli airstrikes target Damascus, southern Syria

Powerful explosions were heard in Damascus and its outskirts on Tuesday night as Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes targeting multiple locations in southern Syria, local media and witnesses reported.

According to state media correspondents, Israeli jets were spotted flying over Daraa province, while residents in Damascus reported hearing low-flying aircraft and the sound of multiple airstrikes.

Initial reports indicate that four Israeli airstrikes hit the Al-Kiswah area, south of Damascus. Meanwhile, an Israeli military incursion was reported in the village of Ain al-Bayda in the Quneitra countryside, near the Syrian-Israeli border.

  The Israeli army said it has struck military targets in southern Syria, calling them a threat to the citizens of the Jewish state.

"Over the past few hours, the IDF struck military targets in southern Syria including command centers and multiple sites containing weapons," the army press service said in a statement.

"The presence of military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria pose a threat to the citizens of Israel," the army said, adding that the IDF "will continue to operate in order to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.".