Israeli attack on Syria's Palmyra kills 36: reports

An Israeli attack on Syria's historical city of Palmyra has killed 36 people and wounded more than 50 after it hit residential buildings and an industrial zone, the Syrian state news agency SANA reports.

The Israeli military declined to comment when asked about an earlier SANA report which did not refer to mass casualties.

Israel has been carrying out strikes against Iran-linked targets in Syria for years but has ramped up such raids since the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel that sparked the war in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli military said last week it had attacked transit routes on the Syrian-Lebanese border that were used to transfer weapons to Hezbollah.

Palmyra's ancient city is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was seized by Islamic State militants in 2015 and partially destroyed before it was recaptured by the Syrian army.