Israeli attack hits Syria's coastal port city

DAMASCUS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Two powerful explosions were heard near the outskirts of Baniyas in the coastal region of Syria after midnight on Tuesday, in what appeared to be a new Israeli attack.

The Syrian Ministry of Defense confirmed that around 00:20 a.m. local time on Tuesday (2120 GMT Monday), Israeli forces conducted an aerial attack from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Baniyas, targeting