STORY: 7 people killed in Israeli attack targeting Syrian residential neighborhood
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 8, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:46
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE (English): HUMMAM SHEIKH ALI, Xinhua reporter in Damascus

STORYLINE:

An Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the densely populated Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus on Tuesday night, killing seven civilians, including women and children, and injuring 11 others, according to a statement by the Syrian Defense Ministry.
   
The attack, which occurred at approximately 8:15 p.m. local time (1715 GMT), involved three missiles launched from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, said the statement.
   
It added that the strike caused significant damage to the surrounding area with rescue efforts still underway.
   
The airstrike struck a 14-floor building in the Sheikh Sa'ad area, a residential and commercial hub in the heart of Mazzeh.
   
Three floors in the building were completely damaged, as the three missiles hit each of them. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors and casualties.
   
It is the first instance of the Sheikh Sa'ad area being directly targeted by an Israeli attack.

SOUNDBITE (English): HUMMAM SHEIKH ALI, Xinhua reporter
"We are now in the capital Damascus, in the Mazzeh neighborhood, west of the capital Damascus. An Israeli airstrike hit the residential neighborhood here a while ago. Three floors were hit in this 14-floor residential building. We can see firefighters, we can see emergency workers, evacuating civilians. Three missiles hit this building, hit three floors. Each missile hit one floor. Emergency workers are still trying to evacuate the stuck civilians and trying to search for possible survivors and casualties. We can see civilians crowding the area, trying to take a look at what happened. This is an urban neighborhood. This is a residential neighborhood. This building is a 14-floor building. There are three other buildings like it nearby. We can see the size of the damage. We can see emergency workers feverishly trying to evacuate survivors and also searching for any possible injuries or people who might need help. This is the first time this residential area has been hit. Usually, previous Israeli airstrikes hit another part of this neighborhood, this sprawling neighborhood. But this is the first time it hit this residential area, this very densely populated area. There is a bustling marketplace nearby. The airstrike hit at a time when a lot of people on the streets were buying stuff and shopping or staying inside their homes. This is what happened in Damascus on this particular day."

In response to the incident, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation, calling the attack a "brutal crime" and a "grave violation" of international law.
   
"This brutal crime against unarmed civilians is a continuation of the genocide committed by this occupying entity against Palestinians and Lebanese," said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement, emphasizing the need for immediate international measures to prevent Israel from continuing its "pattern of criminal behavior."
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)