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Israeli Strikes on Syria Kill at Least 14 People

Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
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Israeli Strikes on Syria Kill at Least 14 People

Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

At least 14 people were killed late on Sunday in multiple Israeli strikes targeting the vicinity of Masyaf, a city in Syria's Hama province, Syria's state news agency reported on Monday.
Two regional intelligence sources said a major military research center for chemical arms production located near Misyaf had been hit several times. It is believed to house a team of Iranian military experts involved in weapons production.
Since the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians and soldiers, Israel has escalated its strikes on Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria and has also struck Syrian army air defenses and some Syrian forces.
"At around 23:20 on Sunday evening, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of northwestern Lebanon, targeting a number of military sites in the central region (of Syria)," a military source told the SANA news agency.
"Our air defense systems confronted the aggression's missiles and shot down some of them," the source added, without providing further details.
A local health official quoted by SANA said 43 people had been injured, including several critically, in the strikes.
Syria's state media also reported that the strikes caused two fires, which firefighters were working to extinguish.

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Judge Questions Lebanon's Detained Ex-central Bank Chief

Lebanese army and police officers stand near what is believed to be a convoy of former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh at the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese army and police officers stand near what is believed to be a convoy of former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh at the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Judge Questions Lebanon's Detained Ex-central Bank Chief

Lebanese army and police officers stand near what is believed to be a convoy of former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh at the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese army and police officers stand near what is believed to be a convoy of former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh at the Justice Palace in Beirut, Lebanon September 9, 2024. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

A judge began interrogating Lebanon's detained former central bank governor Riad Salameh in Beirut on Monday, judicial sources said, the first hearing since he was held last week and charged with alleged financial crimes including embezzling public funds.
The judge questioning Salameh, who ran the central bank for three decades until July 2023, is expected to decide whether to keep him in detention or release him pending further questioning over alleged embezzlement, forgery and illicit enrichment.
Salameh's media office has said he would not comment publicly on the case, in line with the law. It said in a statement he had cooperated in the past with more than 20 criminal probes in Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and was cooperating with the investigation after his detention.
Salameh has denied previous corruption charges.
If the prosecution continues, it would mark a rare case of a serving or retired senior Lebanese official facing accountability in a system which critics say has long shielded the elite.
A group of protesters shouted "Thief!" as a convoy they believed was transporting Salameh entered the justice ministry building. Some of them struck one of the vehicles with their hands.
Judicial sources told Reuters last week Salameh was accused of accruing more than $110 million via financial crimes involving Optimum Invest, a Lebanese firm that offers income brokerage services.
Optimum Invest has said it was assisting the judicial authorities in their investigation and providing them with all requested information, and that its dealings with the central bank were conducted in full compliance with the law.

The charges brought against Salameh last week are separate from previous charges of financial crimes linked to Forry Associates, a company controlled by his brother, Raja. The brothers - who deny any wrongdoing - were accused of using Forry to divert $330 million in public funds through commissions.

Several European countries including France and Germany have been investigating whether tens of millions of dollars of the funds allegedly embezzled from the central bank were laundered in Europe.
Last year, French and German authorities issued warrants for his arrest. The Munich prosecutor's office said in June that German authorities have cancelled their arrest warrant for technical reasons but were continuing their probe and keeping Salameh's assets frozen.