The United States government believes that an Israeli airstrike on Syria was recently launched, U.S. media reported on Friday, citing officials.
Officials told CNN that the strike was conducted "in the Thursday-Friday time frame" and targeted a shipment of weapons believed to be sent to Lebanon-based Shiite group Hezbollah.
Sources also told CNN that they did not believe Israel had targeted a chemical weapons facility.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was quoted on Friday as telling an audience that Israel had indeed bombed Syria.
"Israel bombed Syria tonight," Graham was cited by the Politico news website as saying in passing, without offering any further details.
Graham, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, was speaking at the South Carolina Republican Party's annual Silver Elephant fundraising dinner, according to AFP news agency.
If confirmed, this would mark the second time that Israel has conducted airstrikes on Syria this year.
According to Reuters, a White House spokeswoman declined to comment on the report, saying "We do not comment on reports of this kind."
In Washington, a spokesman for the Israeli embassy told Reuters, "We cannot comment on these reports, but what we can say is that Israel is determined to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons or other game-changing weaponry by the Syrian regime to terrorists, especially to Hezbollah in Lebanon."
Hezbollah fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006.
The media report said that during the time frame of the attack, the United States had collected information showing Israeli warplanes overflying Lebanon.
Following the CNN report, Syria's envoy to the United Nations said on Friday he was not aware of any attack by Israel against his country.
"I'm not aware of any attack right now," Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, told Reuters.
In January this year, Israel bombed a convoy in Syria, apparently hitting weapons destined for Hezbollah, according to diplomats, Syrian rebels and security sources in the region.
04 May, 2013
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Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/05/04/Report-Israel-launched-airstrike-on-Syria-targeting-weapons.html
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