Israel conducts airstrikes near Syrian capital

Hezbollah senior leaders and members were travelling to Damascus during the airstrikes that rocked areas west of the Syrian capital on Tuesday evening. They were reportedly hit during the air strikes.

Israeli aircrafts struck an arms depot west of Syria's capital city of Damascus from Lebanese airspace, Syrian state media reported Tuesday. According to reports, three Syrian soldiers were wounded in the attack.

A report in the American weekly Newsweek said several senior Hezbollah officials were wounded in the alleged attack.

Hezbollah delegation was journeying to Damascus to board a flight bound for Tehran. They were heading to the funeral for Grand Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, an important Iranian cleric who was head of the Expediency Discernment Council.

The claim that the Hezbollah members were targeted and that they were travelling for the Shahroudi funeral has not been confirmed.

Citing a Department of Defense source familiar with the details of the attack via senior Israeli representatives, the report said Israeli aircrafts struck a few minutes after the officials had gotten on board a plane to Iran.

However, former director of Israeli Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Yadlin said on Wednesday it is unlikely Israeli had directly struck Hezbollah officials.

Speaking on Israeli army radio, Yadlin said "the probability (of the report) is very low," adding that "we're trying to piece the picture together, with official Israel remaining silent. We're trying to understand what's been attacked and what were the results of the attack. We're relying on statements from the Syrians and leaks for the Department of Defense."

Yadlin said he was highly doubtful of the leak, and that things must be analyzed from a strategic standpoint. "Israel doesn't attack Hezbollah officials, but advanced weaponry and munitions being transferred to Hezbollah and Iran's establishment. I'm assuming those were the targets tonight."

If the Hezbollah members were targeted it would not be the first time Hezbollah members have been struck in the same location on the roads that lead from Damascus over the mountains to Lebanon.