A vehicle, reportedly carrying Hezbollah fighters, burns after an Israeli drone strike in Quneitra Province in southwest Syria, December 8, 2023 (Times of Israel)

UPDATE, DEC 18:

Israel’s latest strikes on Assad regime positions near Damascus have injured at least two troops.

A regime military official said the Israelis fired missiles about 10:05 p.m. from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. He acknowledged “some material losses”.

UPDATE 0928 GMT:

Israel has renewed missile strikes in the southern part of Syria’s capital Damascus, targeting Iranian and Assad regime positions.

A regime military official said the Israelis attacked from over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at about 11:05 p.m. He said there was some material damage.

Unconfirmed claims said eight people were wounded, including five troops.

Israeli artillery also struck regime positions in the Hader area in Quneitra Province in southwest Syria, close to the Golan Heights.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, DEC 10: An Israeli strike inside Syria has reportedly killed the son of a commander of the Lebanese organization Hezbollah.

Hezbollah confirmed that one of three fighters killed in Friday’s drone strike was Hassan Ali Dakdouk. He was the son of Ali Mussa Dakdouk, the head of Hezbollah’s operations in southern Syria.

Ali Mussa Dakdouk reportedly trained Iran-supported militias in Iraq who attacked US forces. He was detained by the Americans in Iraq in 2007 and later released.

Assad regime media reported four fatalities from a drone strike on a vehicle in Quneitra Province near the Golan Heights, split between Syria and Israeli occupation.

The Israeli military said it struck targets in Syria early Friday morning, responding to Hezbollah fire across the Lebanese-Israeli border on Thursday night.

Alongside Iran and Russia, Hezbollah has been essential in keeping the Assad regime in power since the Syrian uprising of March 2011.

Israel has recurrently struck Iranian and Hezbollah as well as Assad regime targets, hoping to disrupt Tehran’s supply of munitions and missiles to the Lebanese group. The Israelis have killed Hezbollah fighters and even commanders in strikes near Damascus International Airport and in southwest Syria near the Golan Heights.

The strikes have escalated during the cycle of violence between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas from October 7. Last week Israel killed two Iranian Revolutionary Guards personnel in strikes near Damascus.