Israel and Syria Differ on Target of Israeli Air Strike
Published at
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(DAMASCUS, Syria) — In spite of evidence to the contrary, the Syrian government on Wednesday accused Israel of conducting an air strike against one of its military facilities in Damascus the day before.
According to a report by Syria’s official news service, two workers were killed while the alleged attack “caused significant material damage and the destruction of the complex.”
The story contradicts that of U.S. and regional officials who say that Israeli war jets actually bombed a truck convoy suspected of carrying missiles near Syria’s border with Lebanon.
While the Israelis would not comment on the report, its leaders have been concerned that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is shipping weapons to Hezbollah, the ruling Islamic militant faction in Lebanon that has called for the destruction of Israel.
Hezbollah has denied that it was preparing to receive any new arms from Damascus.
Regardless of which account is true, the incident could trigger a widening of the two-year Syrian conflict that has cost more than 60,000 lives. Until this week, Israel has limited its engagement in the civil war, only firing at a Syrian artillery vehicle last year when Syrian mortar shells landed in the Golan Heights.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio