Syrian Hackers Take Down Israeli Websites in Revenge Attack

Syria-based hackers who are said to have the blessings of President Bashar al-Assad, have taken down dozens of Israeli websites in retaliation for the recent air raid at a research centre on the outskirts of the capital Damascus.

A website belonging to an online furniture retailer is among those hacked by members of the so-called Syrian Electronic Army.

"We have hacked into 50 central Israeli websites. After Israel attacked [our] Centre for Scientific Research in Rural Damascus, we decided to respond, but in our way, Syrian Electronic Army hacked dozens of the Zionist entity websites," said the official website.

The attacked websites include those of guesthouses, portals that offer diet and nutrition tips, and an online advertising course website.

The soft targets of the hackers have prompted the Israeli media to mock at the attack. They wonder if this was the surprise revenge that the Assad regime had threatened. According to the Israel-based Ynet News, many of the sites continue to work despite the reported attack.

Syria responded to the Israeli attack earlier saying it "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation" to respond to the "aggression of the Israeli warplanes".

The hackers have vowed more such attacks on Israeli targets. They have also threatened to take on others who are hostile to Syria's "pure" land.

Syria's latest cyber attack came after a jet raid by Israeli forces on a research centre in Syria.

The attack was aimed at an alleged weapons convoy near the Syria-Lebanon border region, but Damascus said a scientific research facility was hit.