Damascus, Oct 3 (IANS) Two people were killed and several others injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a three-story building in the Mazzeh Western Villas neighbourhood of Damascus, the capital of Syria, according to local reports.

The attack on Wednesday follows a previous Israeli strike on the neighbourhood in January, which killed 13 people, including five Iranians, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Tuesday morning, an Israeli attack near the neighbourhood killed three civilians and injured nine others.

The neighbourhood, which houses several diplomatic missions and high-profile residences, has been targeted in past strikes as it is believed to host commanders of Iranian and Palestinian factions.

Local sources said that rescue operations were still underway to search for survivors.