Israel strikes hit near Damascus

Airstrikes attributed to Israel over Syria's capital early Wednesday critically wounded one soldier, Syrian state media reported.

Syria's state news agency, SANA, citing military officials, said the strikes over southwest Damascus also caused "material damage" without giving further details.

It reported that Syrian air defenses shot down some of the missiles.

Israeli authorities did not comment immediately.

Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment next door, has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighboring Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges them.

The last suspected Israeli airstrike on Syria was on May 29, targeting locations in the vicinity of Damascus. Israel has also targeted the international airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo several times this past year, often putting it out of commission.