Israeli airstrike on Syrian base kills 2 soldiers, wounds 3 others

Beirut — Israeli airstrikes killed two Syrian soldiers and wounded three others when they slammed into an airbase in the province of Homs, a Syrian army statement said.

The statement said Israeli warplanes fired missiles after flying over neighboring Lebanon. It added that some of the missiles were shot down before they hit their targets.

Earlier in the day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is based in London, said strong explosions were heard when four Israeli missiles hit the Shayrat airbase in Homs province. It said the missile attack targeted the positions of Iran-backed fighters in the area.