Syrian missile explodes near Israeli reactor
A Syrian missile exploded in southern Israel on Thursday (April 22), according to the Israeli military, an incident that triggered warning sirens near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor, as well an Israeli strike in Syria.
The standoff between Israel and Iran, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has grown in recently, amid the renewed negotiations surrounding Tehran's nuclear program.
An Israeli military spokesman said a Syrian surface-to-air missile fired against Israeli aircraft missed its target and landed in the Dimona area, 125 miles south of the Syrian border, and 19 miles from the reactor.
Israel retaliated with further overnight attacks inside Syria, the spokesman said, targeting several missile batteries, including the one that fired into Israel.
Syria's state news agency said air-defense systems intercepted an Israeli strike in the suburbs of Damascus, downing most of the rockets. It said four soldiers were injured and there was some damage.
A Syrian military defector said the Israeli missiles struck near the town of Dumair, where Iranian-backed militias have a presence, and which Israel has attacked before.
