China is shocked at the Israeli military attack on the targets within Syria's territory and strongly condemns it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said in Beijing Monday.

Kong made the remark in a response to a reporter's question. He said China is concerned about the current tense situation in the Middle East and Israel's military actions would further fluctuate the situation there.

China strongly calls for the involved parties to exercise utmost restraint to avoid further deterioration of the situation in the region, Kong said.

The Israeli army attacked a training camp of Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in Syria Saturday evening, in retaliation for a deadly suicide bombing attack which killed about 19 people in the northern Israeli coastal city of Haifa one day earlier.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 7, 2003)