Israeli drone strike kills military officer in Syria

Damascus, June 19 (IANS) The Israeli military killed a Syrian officer in a drone strike in southern Syria on Wednesday morning, the Syrian Ministry of Defence said.

The attack targeted two Syrian military sites in the Quneitra and Daraa provinces in southern Syria at around 7 a.m. (local time), killing one Syrian officer and causing damage to an unknown amount of materials, Xinhua news agency reported citing the ministry.

The Syrian government condemned the strike, labelling it as an "act of aggression" by Israel.

Tensions between Israel and Syria have escalated in recent years, with numerous airstrikes attributed to Israel, targeting what Israel perceives as Iranian assets and Hezbollah positions and weaponry in Syria.

Israel has repeatedly said that its actions are aimed at preventing Iranian entrenchment near its borders.

--IANS