Beirut, Jumada II 25, 1434, May 5, 2013, SPA - Israeli warplanes struck areas in and around the Syrian capital Sunday. The attack, the second in three days, signaled a sharp escalation of Israel's involvement in Syria's bloody civil war. The airstrikes come as Washington considers how to respond to indications that Al-Assad regime in Syria may have used chemical weapons in its civil war. U.S. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options - including possible military action. Damascus-based activist Maath al-Shami said the strikes occurred around 3 a.m. "Damascus shook. The explosion was very, very strong," said al-Shami adding that one of the strikes occurred near the capital's Qasioun mountain that overlooks Damascus. He said the raid near Qasioun targeted a military position for the elite Republican Guards that is in charge of protecting Damascus, according to a report of the Associated Press. Mohammed Saeed, another activist who lives in the Damascus suburb of Douma, said "the explosions were so strong that earth shook under us." He said the smell of the fire caused by the air raid near Qasioun could be felt miles away. --SPA 12:13 LOCAL TIME 09:13 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1106457