DAMASCUS (Reuters) – In an airstrike on the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday, Israel targeted a command center believed to be operated by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which the military alleged was being used to coordinate ‘terrorist activities’ against Israel. A brief nine-second video shared by the military depicted an explosion near a building followed by billowing smoke. The military claimed the command center was utilized by Islamic Jihad to plan and execute attacks against Israel. However, Islamic Jihad spokesperson Muhammad al-Haj Musa refuted these claims, stating on Telegram that the building was actually an uninhabited residence. According to two Syrian security sources cited by Reuters, the target was a Palestinian individual. The extent of any casualties, if any, was not immediately confirmed. Syria’s state news agency reported that the building in question was situated on the outskirts of Damascus. (Reporting by Maya Gebeily, Khalil Ashawi, Alexander Cornwell, and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
