Israeli Jets Fly Low over Lebanon to Strike Syria's Hama

Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon's airspace late Thursday to carry out a strike in neighboring Syria, sparking panic among residents on Christmas Eve.

The jets were heard flying at low altitude over Beirut and Sidon shortly before the strikes. Social media reports also said that blasts were heard in the northern regions of Akkar and Tripoli. It was not immediately clear whether those were bombardment sounds or the sounds of jets breaking the sound barrier.

Israeli jets regularly violate Lebanese airspace and have often struck inside Syria from Lebanese territory. But the Christmas Eve flights were louder than usual, frightening residents of Beirut who have endured multiple crises in the past year, including the catastrophic Aug. 4 explosion at the city's port that killed over 200 people and destroyed parts of the capital. That explosion resulted from the detonation of a stockpile of ammonium nitrates that was improperly stored at the facility.

Syria's state news agency SANA said Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles fired by Israel on the western province of Hama.

"Our air defenses intercepted an Israeli attack on the Masyaf area" in rural Hama, SANA reported.

Syrian state TV aired footage purporting to show air defenses responding to the Israeli attack.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported strikes on Masyaf, saying Israel was "likely responsible."

The war monitor said the attack targeted "positions of regime forces and Iran-backed militias," without providing additional details.

Israel, which did not immediately comment on the reports, has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011.

It has targeted government troops, allied Iranian forces and fighters from Lebanon's Hizbullah.

It rarely confirms details of its operations in Syria, but says Iran's presence in support of President Bashar al-Assad is a threat and that it will continue its strikes.