Damascus, January 13 (RHC)-- A huge explosion has rocked a Syrian Air Force installation southwest of the capital Damascus, after the Israeli regime launched a rocket attack against a designated target at the site.  The Israeli rockets struck the Mezzeh Military Airport, less than eight kilometers southwest of Damascus early on Friday and caused a large fire, but there has been no immediate report of casualties.

Syrian state TV quoted the army command as saying that the rockets, which it said were fired from an area close to the Sea of Galilee in the north of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, hit the airport’s compound.  Earlier reports said the rockets had targeted an arms depot at the military installation.

Several loud explosions were reportedly heard after the attack against the major facility for the elite Republican Guards.  

The development came more than a month after the Israeli military fired missiles from within the occupied Palestinian territory at the same Syrian army airbase outside Damascus.   The Syrian military source called the missile attack against the Mezzeh airbase part of “desperate attempts by the Israeli enemy to support terrorist groups and raise their low morale.”  The Mezzeh airbase reportedly hosts the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence Directorate.