Syrian journalist Safaa Ahmad, was killed in Israeli airstrikes on Damascus early Tuesday.
Ahmad was killed in an attack which also left three civilians dead and nine others wounded, according to locals news outlets.
“The Israeli enemy launched air aggression using warplanes and drones from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting multiple sites in Damascus,” the official news agency SANA reported.
AFP correspondents heard four rounds of heavy bombardment over about 30 minutes, resonating across the Syrian capital. In Mezzeh, a neighborhood housing Syrian security offices and embassies, an AFP correspondent saw two mini-buses burnt to ashes.
A local resident, 57-year-old Abu Mohammad, living in a hit building, recounted: “We heard a strong blast that threw me out of bed, and moments later we heard screams and cries.”
“From our balcony, we saw fire everywhere,” he added, describing the aftermath as they found a woman dead on the first floor, her children crying nearby but unable to help.
Israeli authorities emphasized they will not allow Iran to expand its foothold in Syria. Recent days have seen a spike in such strikes, including on areas near the Lebanese border.
The escalation has also led to tens of thousands fleeing to Syria from heavy Israeli bombardments in Lebanon.