11 injured in Israeli airstrikes near Syria-Lebanon border

DAMASCUS, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — Israeli airstrikes targeted bridges and roads in central Syria’s Homs province near the Lebanese border on Wednesday night, injuring 11 people and causing significant damage, according to local media and Syria’s Defense Ministry.
“Around 8:05 p.m. (1705 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial attack from the direction of Lebanon, targeting bridges over the Orontes River and roads on the Syria-Lebanon border in the Al-Qusayr area in the countryside of Homs,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by state media.
“The attack caused significant damage and rendered the targets (attacked sites) out of service,” the statement added.
Earlier, local media reported a series of explosions near the border area of Al-Qusayr, as Syrian air defense systems responded to “hostile” attacks in the southwestern rural parts of Homs.
The attack is believed to have been aimed at cutting off links between Syria and Lebanon through Al-Qusayr, an area also known as a hub for Hezbollah.
According to local Sham FM, 11 people were injured in an attack on the village of Al-Jubaniyah.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli warplanes struck three Syrian military checkpoints, one in Al-Jubaniyah, and bridges near the border with Lebanon, including the Al Daff and Al Adar bridges in the countryside of Al-Qusayr.
The observatory confirmed that air defenses were activated in response to incoming missiles.
The Britain-based war monitor added that it has documented 148 Israeli attacks on Syrian territory so far this year, including 122 airstrikes and 26 ground assaults.
It noted that these strikes have led to the deaths of 284 military personnel, injuries to 230 others, and the destruction of approximately 265 targets, including weapons and ammunition depots, headquarters, centers, and vehicles.
Additionally, 55 civilians, including nine children and 14 women, have been killed, with about 58 others wounded, according to the observatory.
Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes on Syria over the past years, primarily targeting Iranian-backed militia positions and weapons allegedly intended for transfer to Hezbollah.
The Syrian government has repeatedly condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them violations of its sovereignty. ■