Videos: Syrian Air Defenses Repel 'Aggression' in Sky Over Homs Governorate, State Media Report

According to Syrian state television and local reports, Syrian anti-air defenses were engaging hostile targets over the central city of Homs early on Thursday morning, which were identified as Israeli.

Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, citing a Syrian military source, that the attack was launched by aircraft northeast of Beirut, Lebanon, and aimed at targets across the Homs countryside near Al-Qusayr.

Syrian broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya reported after the attack that Syrian air defense systems had successfully down most of the rockets fired by Israel.

Several videos posted on social media show anti-air missiles streaking toward undefined aerial targets. It's unclear if they are targeting incoming missiles or aircraft overhead.

דיווח על תקיפה ישראלית בחומס,פיצוצים עזים.
במקביל הופעלה מערכת ההגנה האוירית בסוריה. #Syria #سوريا pic.twitter.com/KGGlwWKU2O

— Real News IL (@RealNewsIL) July 21, 2021​

#Homs this evening. pic.twitter.com/gobwX8Qs0Y

— Danny Makki (@Dannymakkisyria) July 21, 2021​

من تصدي الدفاعات الجوية لعـ ـدوان اسرائيلي في سماء حمص pic.twitter.com/TKOfuZVmxw

— 🇵🇸 Ali.ᏴK 🇮🇶 (@Ali_Bk_Hanas) July 21, 2021

The US also notably launched a large cruise missile strike against Shayrat in April 2017 in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack on the town of Khan Shaykhun, in Idlib Governorate, which was later revealed to have been staged by the al-Qaeda-aligned White Helmets group.

A missile also reportedly fell near the Lebanese town of Majdel el-Koura, about 30 miles south of the Syrian border. It's unclear what type of missile, whether it was a cruise missile that fell short or an anti-air missile that overshot its target, as happened earlier this year when an S-200 missile fell in central Israel following another Israeli attack.

A missile reportedly fell in the town of Majdel el-Koura after Israeli airstrikes in #Syria this evening. #Lebanon #Israel pic.twitter.com/lHNyUDfcqm

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) July 21, 2021

Thursday's strikes are the second by Israel this week: an air attack on late Monday into early Tuesday struck targets near Aleppo, in northern Syria. Both attacks have come during Eid al-Adha, a week-long family holiday celebrated by Muslims to remember the obedience of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son Ishmael because God commanded him to.