Israeli airstrikes hit Syria as regional escalation looms

DAMASCUS (AFP) -- Israeli warplanes have targeted a Syrian weapons shipment headed for Hezbollah in Lebanon, media quoted US officials as saying Saturday, as Sunnis were fleeing a city for fear of a massacre.

The news came as US President Barack Obama, under mounting criticism that he has allowed Bashar Assad's regime to cross his own declared "red line" on using chemical weapons, came close to ruling out deploying US troops to Syria.

CNN said US and Western intelligence agencies were reviewing information suggesting Israel likely conducted a strike overnight on Thursday.

But the United States does not believe Israeli warplanes entered Syrian airspace to carry out the strikes, it added.

NBC cited US officials as saying it was believed the primary target was a weapons shipment headed for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese Shiite militant group closely allied to President Assad's regime. more

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