Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syria since 2011 (Latakia port archive and a massive fire due to an Israeli raid in December 2021)

The Syrian army said five soldiers were killed in an Israeli air strike near Damascus airport, according to local media.

There were reports of material losses to infrastructure.

The Syrian news agency, SANA, quoted statements attributed to military sources in Damascus, stating that the Israeli raid "killed five soldiers and caused some material damage."

The sources pointed out that the attack took place at about a quarter past one in the morning local time, and was from the "northeast of Lake Tiberias, and targeted the airport and other sites in southern Damascus."

Meanwhile, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the Israeli raid "killed five Syrian soldiers and two militiamen backed by Iran."

The observatory said that "Israel targeted sites of armed groups backed by Iran stationed near the airport and in the countryside of Damascus."

Israel launched air strikes on rural areas around Damascus and southern coastal Tartus last month, killing three soldiers.

An Israeli air strike last June caused the Damascus airport to be out of service for two weeks. Also, Israeli warplanes targeted the city of Aleppo twice last month.

The Syrian Observatory said at the time that those raids targeted weapons depots belonging to Iranian-backed militias.

Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out numerous Israeli air strikes on its northern neighbor, Syria, targeting government forces, Iranian-backed forces, and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters.

Although it is rare for Israel to comment on its air strikes on Syria, Tel Aviv has admitted carrying out hundreds of them.

Israel says those air strikes are necessary to prevent Iran from finding a foothold on its doorstep.