Syrian army
command said on Friday that Israel fired rockets at a major military airbase outside Damascus, and warned Tel Aviv of repercussions of what it called a "flagrant" attack.
The explosions were heard in the capital, and residents in the southwest suburbs saw a large plume of smoke rising from the area, while video footage downloaded on social media showed flames leaping from parts of Mezzah military airport's compound.
Earlier reports said the rockets had targeted an arms depot at the military installation.
Several loud explosions were reportedly heard after the attack against the major facility for the elite Republican Guards.
The Syrian army also vowed to take revenge for the "flagrant" attack and "amputate the arms of the perpetrators."
"The Syrian army command and armed forces warn Israel of the repercussions of the flagrant attack and stresses its continued fight against (this) terrorism," it said in a statement.The development came more than a month after the Israeli military fired missiles from within the occupied Palestinian territory at the same Syrian army airbase outside Damascus.
"At 3:00 a.m., the Israeli enemy fired several surface-to-surface missiles from inside occupied territory," Syria's official news agency SANA reported in December, citing a military source. The report said the Israeli missiles set off a blaze at the targeted site.
The Syrian military source called the missile attack against the Mezzeh airbase part of "desperate attempts by the Israeli enemy to support terrorist groups and raise their low morale."
The Mezzeh airbase reportedly hosts the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate.
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