AT LEAST three soldiers were killed and seven wounded when an Israeli air strike hit the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus in the early hours of today.

According to the Syrian military, the rockets were fired from the occupied Golan Heights just after 12.30am. 

“The Syrian army air defence confronted the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them,” a source said. 

Journalist Vanessa Beeley, who lives in Damascus, said that she had been woken by the blast, adding that up to 10 missiles were believed to have been brought down before reaching their target. 

“It is believed they were targeting the international airport at Damascus once again, but they failed. Jamraya and Dimas were hit,” she said. 

Ms Beeley accused Israel of trying to distract from “a major front in the north” of Syria, where Turkey has been threatening to invade despite warnings from Russia and countries in the region, including Iran. 

Earlier this week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cautioned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against such a move as they met in a trilateral summit in Tehran. 

He said that any new military operation would “be to the detriment of Syria, Turkey and the region” and would boost terrorists, who “are not limited to a certain group.”

Mr Erdogan was hoping to gain support for his plans to launch an offensive and create an 18-mile buffer zone inside Syria, targeting US-backed Kurdish forces. 

The Syrian Arab Army has vowed to repel any invasion, while President Bashar al-Assad has called on Turkish and US occupation forces to leave Syrian territory. 

At least 130 Syrians are believed to have been killed in 30 Israeli missile strikes last year.

Last month, flights were suspended from Damascus international airport after an attack caused material damage.

The United Nations has ignored Syrian government appeals for action by the world body.