Israel targets Syria's Latakia, causes damage

Fires have erupted in the container storage area in Syria's Latakia Port following an Israeli missile attack, regime media said.

Tuesday's attack is Israel's second strike in December, damaged facades of a hospital, some residential buildings and shops

"The Israeli 'aggression' caused big materialistic damages and assessing its results is still a work in progress", Syrian regime defence ministry said in a statement.

Israel has intensified its attacks against what it has described as Iranian targets in Syria, where Tehran-backed forces including Lebanon's Hezbollah have deployed over the last decade to support regime leader Bashar al Assad in Syria's civil war.

Live footage aired by the Syrian State TV showed flames and smoke in the containers' area.

READ MORE: Syrian regime soldier killed in Israeli attack

"At around 03:21 AM [0121GMT], the Israeli enemy carried out an aerial aggression with several missiles from the direction of the Mediterranean... targeting the container yard in Latakia port," Syrian state news agency SANA cited a military source as saying.

"Fire fighters are trying to put the fires off while ambulances arrived at the scene," the reporter said.

Latakia, a Mediterranean port, is Syria's main commercial port.

Russia, which has been Assad's most powerful ally during the war, operates an air base at Hmeimim some 20 km (12 miles) away from Latakia.

READ MORE: Syrian regime reports Israel 'aggression' on Latakia port