Syrian authorities have accused Israel of a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country after a series of airstrikes carried out last night, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reports.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the attacks led to the destruction of a military airport and 13 people were killed in an operation by Israeli forces in southern Syria.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa that if Israel's security is threatened, Damascus will "pay a heavy price".
Earlier, the Israeli army announced that it had retaliated to an attack during an operation in southern Syria. In response to the Israeli strikes, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said:
"This unjustified escalation is a deliberate attempt to destabilize Syria."
The Israeli Air Force attacked a military research center in Damascus, the military airport in Hama, and the T4 air base in Homs province. Syrian authorities reported that the Hama airport was almost completely destroyed, and the attacks resulted in "dozens of civilian and military casualties".
According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, strikes were carried out in five different regions within 30 minutes.
In late February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for "complete demilitarization of southern Syria" and said that he would not allow the new Syrian government to deploy forces south of Damascus.