A Syrian soldier was killed and three others injured in Israeli strikes near Damascus, state media says according to Al Jazeera.

The Israeli army said it targeted a Syrian military command centre as well as targets and infrastructure belonging to the Syrian army and air defence in response to two drones launched towards Israel from Syrian territory.

The statement is a rare acknowledgement by the Israeli military of action in Syria, where it has launched hundreds of strikes, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters.

State news agency SANA reported defence systems intercepted and downed a number of missiles “despite their intensity”. The news agency published a photo showing a fire in what appeared to be a crater caused by the blast.

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