BEIRUT, October 1. /TASS/. The Israeli Air Force’s attack on western districts of Damascus has caused civilian casualties, the Sham FM radio station reports.

According to the broadcaster, Israel started to carry out airstrikes on the Syrian capital simultaneously with the launch of a military operation in southern Lebanon.

TV host Safa Ahmed is reportedly among those killed in the attack.

Al Hadath reports that a senior politician or a military commander could have been the target of the attack.

The strikes triggered a major fire in the Mezzeh district. A thick plume of smoke is rising into the sky in western Damascus.

According to Al Hadath, an Israeli drone conducted a raid in a Damascus suburb on Monday where a facility belonging to the 4th Armored Division led by the Syrian president’s brother Maher Assad came under attack. Israel earlier accused Maher Assad of facilitating the deliveries of Iranian weapons for the Hezbollah movement.