Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Updated at 12.15pm
ISRAELI STRIKES ON several areas of Syria overnight killed at least 23 fighters, including five Syrian regime troops and 18 other allied forces, a monitor said today.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said an officer was among the regime troops killed in the strikes and that the casualties included foreigners.
Israel’s army said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria.
The Russian defence ministry, whose country has forces in Syria supporting the regime, said 28 Israeli warplanes took part in the raids and around 70 missiles were fired.
Areas near Damascus and in the southwest of Syria were among the targets, the Observatory said.
The strikes “caused human losses in a number of the targeted areas”, it said, adding the death toll was likely to rise.
Israel said it targeted Syrian positions after rocket fire towards its forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that it blamed on Iran.
A senior military pro-regime source in Syria confirmed the salvo of rockets, but insisted Israel fired first.
“We know that comes from the al-Quds force,” army spokesman lieutenant-colonel Jonathan Conricus said, referring to the special forces unit affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The Israeli army takes very seriously this Iranian attack against Israel.
Paul Kehoe T.D / Twitter
Paul Kehoe T.D / Twitter / Twitter
In the early hours of the morning, explosions were heard in Damascus, while live images were broadcast on television showing projectiles above the Syrian capital and several missiles destroyed by Syrian anti-aircraft systems.
Syrian state media reported that Israeli missile strikes hit military bases as well as an arms depot and a military radar installation, without specifying the location.
The official SANA news agency added that “dozens of missiles were shot down by anti-aircraft systems in Syrian airspace”, saying a number of missiles had reached their targets.
Israel’s military later confirmed it had carried out the raids, saying dozens of Iranian military targets had been struck and all of its aircraft had returned safely.
Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Israel has repeatedly targeted positions of the Syrian army and Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah backing it inside the country.
If there is to be a silver lining in all this, I hope that those people that used to breathe down the back of your neck in queues, finally get the awareness to give us some personal space.
@Mark Malone: I’m afraid they are still around and continue to do so regardless of restrictions
@Mark Malone: Been thinking something like this. Manners will come back again. Just got to work on the spitting and urinating everywhere now.
There should be greater nuance in the question phrasing e.g. it is not complusory to wear a mask in public spaces, it should be asked if people either wear masks in enclosed spaces (shops/buses etc.) or in crowded public places. Would have been useful also to see fear added to the emotional well-being tracking – probably a prevailing emotion at the start that would hope has declined significantly.
@Spbeak: To suggest that 90% of people wear masks in all public places is just incorrect
@Spbeak: does worry and anxiety not kind of cover fear?
@Jim Smith: well the survey relies on people reporting their own behaviour the true figure probably a bit lower alright
@Jim Smith:
Depends I suppose, on what you call a public space for the purpose of mask wearing.
Walking down a street in the open air is in public, going for a walk on the beach or in a town park with your children is in public, but where social distancing is not an issue, then facemasks are a matter of choice.
From what I observed during December, facemasks were being worn by nearly everyone, certainly greater than 90%, in the places where social distancing was a difficulty, retail parks, shopping centres and such like. If fact most people seemed to be putting on their facemasks before they got out of their cars and were being extremely diligent and responsible about it.
Someone else has suggested that the questions asked in this article are a bit vague, I think they are correct.
@NotMyIreland: not really. Fear is a separate, though related, emotion.
The numbers shown and the ups and down in the infection numbers match. Says everything.
have your say