spot_imgspot_imgspot_imgspot_img
HomeInternationalIsrael launches over 300 airstrikes in Syria since al-Assad fled, reports say

Israel launches over 300 airstrikes in Syria since al-Assad fled, reports say


Israel have said that they are carrying out precise strikes on chemical weapons sites and heavy weapons Syria, in order to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Israeli air force carried out over 300 airstrikes across Syria since rebels overthrew Assad over the weekend, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UK-based observatory and Beirut-based Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria, said Israeli troops are advancing up the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon. It was not possible to independently confirm the reports.

The attacks targeted a range of locations, including research centres, weapons depots, airports, and aircraft squadrons, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. They also disabled air defence systems and rendered several sites inoperable.

Among the sites hit were research facilities in Hama and Damascus, including the Barzeh Scientific Research Centre, which has been previously targeted. The facility gained attention in 2018 when it was struck by a US-led coalition in response to Syria’s alleged chemical weapons programme.

In Damascus, an Associated Press reporter saw plumes of smoke rising from the Barzeh facility, with explosions also hitting weapon storage sites. Heavy blasts were heard across the capital.

In the coastal city of Latakia, airstrikes damaged a Syrian air defence site, naval ships, and warehouses near the port, according to the Syrian Observatory.

In Daraa, in southwestern Syria, strikes hit military positions and storage sites in rural western and northern areas, resulting in two fatalities, the Observatory added.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes. However, earlier on Monday, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Gideon Saar, said the operations targeted suspected chemical weapons sites and long-range rocket facilities to prevent their use by hostile groups.


RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular