April 27 (UPI) -- Seven people were killed by missile attacks near the Syrian capital of Damascus early Monday that the government said came from Israeli forces.
The strikes targeted the towns of Al-Hujaira and Al-Adliya, officials said, and four Iranian militants and three civilians were killed.
It was unclear if the civilian deaths were caused by the airstrike or Syrian air defense systems.
Syrian state media reported the government's air defense shot down "most of" the missiles. The Israeli planes arrived into Syria from Lebanese airspace, it added.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes targeted locations believed to house headquarters for Iranian forces, the Lebanese Hezbollah and affiliated militias.
Israeli officials have long worried about an Iranian buildup in Syria, which would position Tehran's military closer.
"Iranian soldiers who come to Syria and operate within Syria. Their blood is on their heads. They are risking their lives and paying with their lives," Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Sunday. "We will not allow the establishment of an advanced Iranian base in Syria."
