getty imagesIsrael confirmed it had carried out an attack on a Syrian naval vessel.
The BBC has confirmed a video showing the explosion that occurred in the Syrian port of Latakia, which appears to have caused extensive damage to ships and parts of the port.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday it had documented more than 310 airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the fall of the Assad regime.
Israeli warplanes reportedly carried out hundreds of airstrikes throughout Syria, including the capital Damascus.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement that the IDF aims to “destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel.”
He added that the operation to destroy the Syrian fleet was a “huge success.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that Israel would ‘respond strongly’ if Iran allowed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian rebel group that ousted President Bashar al-Assad, to ‘reconstruct’. Syria”.
Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed troops operating in Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
It added that the strike was aimed at preventing weapons from falling into the hands of extremists as Syria transitions to a post-Assad era.
SOHR reported more than 60 attacks occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday across Aleppo, Damascus and Hama.
They targeted military facilities of the Syrian army, including weapons depots, ammunition depots, airports, naval bases and research centers.
Reports indicate that many of the affected facilities were not simply damaged but completely destroyed.
Rami Abdul Rahman, founder of SOHR, described the airstrikes as destroying “the entire capabilities of the Syrian army” and said “Syrian land is being violated.”
getty imagesThe IDF acknowledged its troops had entered Syrian territory but told the BBC that reports of tanks approaching Damascus were “false”.
They said some troops were stationed there. separation area It borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, “and several additional points.”
“When we talk about some additions, we are talking about the separation zone or the nearby buffer zone area,” IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani told the BBC.
BBC Verification confirmed the location of an IDF soldier standing just half a kilometer from the demilitarized buffer zone in the Golan Heights on a hill near the town of Kwdana in Syria.
On Monday The Israeli military released photos of its troops crossing into the demilitarized buffer zone from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Syria, where UN peacekeeping forces are stationed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the IDF’s occupation of Syrian army positions in the buffer zone was a “temporary defensive position until appropriate measures are found.”
“If we can establish friendly and peaceful relations with the new forces emerging in Syria, that is our hope. But if we cannot do so, we will take all necessary measures to protect the state of Israel and its borders,” he said. monday.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s entry into the buffer zone, denouncing Israel’s “occupational mentality at a sensitive time when the possibility of achieving the peace and stability that the Syrian people have longed for for many years appears.”
The buffer zone, also known as the Separation Zone, was established as part of Israel’s 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria to keep Israeli and Syrian forces separate following Israel’s previous occupation of the Golan Heights.
Israel unilaterally annexed the Golan Heights in 1981. The United States unilaterally annexed it in 2019, but the move was not recognized internationally.
Asked about the IDF attack on Monday night, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was only interested in protecting its citizens.
He said, “That is why we are attacking strategic weapons systems, such as remaining chemical weapons, long-range missiles, and rockets, to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists.”
On Monday, the United Nations chemical watchdog warned Syrian authorities to ensure that suspected chemical weapons stockpiles are safe.
It is not known where and how much chemical weapons Syria possesses. President Assad has stockpiled supplies.
Israel’s attack took place after Syrian rebels occupied the capital Damascus. The Assad regime was toppled over the weekend.. He and his father have been in power in the country since 1971.
Forces led by the Islamist opposition group HTS entered Damascus in the early hours of Sunday and then appeared on state television to declare Syria was now “free.”
Additional reporting by Ian Casey
