Saudi urges UN action against Israel strikes on Syria

Saudi Arabia today called for UN action to end Israeli strikes on Syria, describing the raids as a "dangerous violation" of the sovereignty of an Arab state, the official SPA news agency reported.
Israeli raids on Syrian targets near Damascus at the weekend killed at least 42 soldiers, said watchdog Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A senior Israeli source said the raids targeted Iranian weapons meant for Shiite militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Saudi cabinet voiced "deep concern from the worsening situation in Syria" and urged "swift action by the UN Security Council to stop these Israeli attacks on Syrian territories and ensure they are not repeated," said SPA.

The kingdom has repeatedly voiced support for rebels in Syria battling President Bashar al-Assad's forces. It also severed diplomatic ties with Damascus since 2011.
But its government today described Israel's raids as "flagrant attacks and a dangerous violation of the sovereignty of an Arab state, warning of its dangerous effects on the region's security and stability".

A diplomatic source in Beirut told AFP the sites targeted by Israeli warplanes were the Jamraya military facility, a nearby weapons depot and an anti-aircraft unit in Sabura, west of Damascus.
The strikes yesterday came about 48 hours after a reported Israeli raid on a weapons storage facility at Damascus airport.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon has warned against any escalation of a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people in Syria since it erupted in March 2011.