'Israel attacks Iranian base in Syria'

tel aviv - Israel has attacked an Iranian base under construction not far from the Syrian capital Damascus with fighter planes. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported this Saturday on the basis of pro-government media in Syria.

The attack was on a base at al-Kiswah, 15 kilometers south of Damascus. The Syrian anti-aircraft organization would have been in action. Officially, in Jerusalem or Damascus nothing is yet reported about the air strike. Serious explosions have been heard up to the Syrian capital and the electricity has fallen out in parts of the city.

Shiite Iran supports the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that erupted in Syria in 2011. Assad belongs to a religious minority, the alawites. His army fights especially against jihadists or other radical Sunnis who, despite support from the Gulf States, are now on their way back. This is mainly due to the military assistance of Russia and Iran to Assad.