DAMASCUS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli missile attack targeted a Syrian site in the central province of Hama on Tuesday, the state TV reported.
Several explosions rocked the Wadi al-Oyoun area in the countryside of Hama, in what appeared to be an Israeli missile attack launched by Israeli warplanes, said the TV.
The report added that the Syrian air defenses have intercepted five Israeli missiles.
Information also indicates that the Israeli warplanes have carried out the attack from the Lebanese airspace.
Reports from activists said that a scientific research center in the countryside of the Baniyas city in Tartus province was hit in the attack.
In July, the Israelis targeted the scientific research center in the town of Masyaf in Hama countryside.
A month later, Aziz Asber, a senior Syrian scientist running the research centers in Masyaf, was assassinated in the same area.
At the time, the scientist's assassination was blamed on Israel as he was reportedly running a missile program with the help of the Iranians.
Israel repeatedly claimed it was targeting Iranian positions in Syria with its official stressing that Israel will not tolerate Iranian presence in Syria.
The fresh escalation comes as the United States and its Western allies were threatening the Syrian side with the use of force over allegations that the government side is planning a chemical attack in Idlib province, the last major rebel stronghold in Syria.
Damascus read the threats as the Western powers' way to hinder the government forces' planned assault in Idlib under false pretexts of chemical weapons' use. Enditem
