Israeli aggression on areas in Deir Ezzor and Albu Kamal in Syria: State media

Syrian air defenses confronted an "Israeli aggression" on areas in Deir Ezzor and Albu Kamal in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq, state news agency SANA and state television AlIkhbaria reported on early Wednesday.

"At 1:10 this morning, the Israeli enemy launched an aerial aggression on the Deir Ezzor and Albu Kamal areas, the resulting consequences of the aggression are currently being evaluated," the military statement read.

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The bases in eastern, central and southern Syria which Israel had hit in recent months are believed to have a strong presence of Iranian-backed militias, according to intelligence sources and military defectors familiar with the locations.

Western intelligence sources say Israel’s stepped up strikes on Syria in the last few months are part of a shadow war approved by the United States and part of the anti-Iran policy that has undermined in the last two years Iran’s extensive military power without triggering a major increase in hostilities.

They say that the past year has seen an expansion in the targets hit by Israel across Syria where thousands of Iranian-backed militias have been involved in regaining much of the territory lost by Syrian President Bashar al Assad to insurgents in a nearly decade old civil war.

- With Reuters

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