MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Israel's new airstrikes in Syria are cause for concern, especially as they were again carried out under the cover of civilian aircraft, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"We are very seriously concerned about both the very fact of the airstrikes and the way they were carried out. They obviously grossly violate Syria's sovereignty and the provisions of UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1701," the ministry said in a statement on its website.
"It is noteworthy that the Israeli Air Force once again delivered its airstrikes under cover of civilian planes approaching to land at the Damascus and Beirut airports," it said.
"According to incoming reports, six Israeli Air Force F-16s struck the outskirts of Damascus from Lebanon's airspace late in the evening of December 25," the ministry said.
"Syria sustained material damage, and three servicemen were injured. Remarkably, Syrian air defense systems intercepted 14 of the 16 guided air bombs fired by the Israelis," it said.
It has been reported that the planes destroyed a depot of Iranian Fajr-5 missiles near Damascus.