Israeli aerial defenses have intercepted an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria towards Israel.
“An IDF aerial defense system activated in response to an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria,” the IDF Spokesperson said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Eyewitnesses reported the sound of a loud explosion and smoke in the skies over the Israeli city of Hadera and surrounds as a result of the interception.
“An air defense system was launched against an anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria. There is no damage and no casualties,” the IDF Spokesperson said.
Syrian sources reported an air strike on the outskirts of western Damascus less than an hour earlier, attributed to Israeli warplanes by local media.
However, state-run media said Syrian air defenses were responding to “hostile targets” in the western periphery of Damascus.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other members of the Security Cabinet toured the area in the north in which the IDF is working on neutralizing and destroying the Hezbollah terrorist tunnels as part of Operation Northern Shield.
IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, GOC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoel Strick and other senior officers briefed Security Cabinet members on the progress of Operation Northern Shield.
The Security Cabinet held a discussion following the meeting.
“This operation is mostly behind us,” Netanyahu told reporters. “There has been exceptional work here to deny Hezbollah the tunnels weapon. It has invested greatly in this and we have destroyed it.”