Israel Carried out waves of heavy airstrikes in Syria after President Bashar Al-Assad’s government fell to rebel forces earlier this week, as Israeli troops pushed deeper into the country in a bid to prevent military assets from falling into the hands of “terrorists”.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in a statement said that following its 48-hour campaign, it had struck a wide range of targets, including anti-aircraft batteries, Syrian Air Force airfields, and dozens of weapons production sites in Damascus, Homs and other cities.
The Airstrikes by the IDF
The IDF conducted over 350 aerial strikes, striking 130 ground assets in Syria, including weapons depot, military structures, launchers, and firing positions. The Israeli Navy also struck two Syrian Navy facilities where 15 naval vessels were docked and destroyed dozens of sea-to-sea missiles.
⭕ In 48 hours, the IDF struck most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻:
⚓ Naval Operations: Israeli Navy missile ships struck 2 Syrian Navy facilities… pic.twitter.com/6N1fz7BiMF
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) December 10, 2024
The military estimated that it had destroyed 70-80% of the former Assad regime’s strategic military capabilities to prevent them from falling into the hands of hostile elements, as rebel forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda, toppled Assad’s government after 13 years of a gruelling civil war in the country.
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Israel acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following the ouster of President Assad, though it was unclear if its soldiers had gone beyond that area. Israel denied it is advancing on the Syrian capital of Damascus. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said they intended to establish a demilitarised zone in southern Syria.
Netanyahu’s Stark Warning
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “If the new regime in Syria allows Iran to re-establish itself, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah – we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price.” pic.twitter.com/B5UTGCXoGN
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) December 10, 2024
With the takeover of Damascus on December 8, the 13-year-long civil war in the country came to an end along with the culmination of more than 50 years of the Assad family’s brutal rule.
