Has the IAF attacked in Syria again? Syrian sources reported that Israel attacked the Assad regime and Hezbollah targets on Monday.
By: JNS and World Israel News Staff
A Syrian opposition media source reported Tuesday that Israel’s Air Force (IAF) carried out airstrikes against the Hezbollah terror group and Syrian government targets around Syria’s Qalamoun Mountains on Monday evening.
A report by the Syrian opposition Al-Souria website reported that eight Hezbollah terrorists and five Syrian soldiers were killed in the raids.
“After several hours of reconnaissance flights above the area, Israeli planes suddenly launched two raids on a joint Assad force and Hezbollah position,” Al-Souria reported. “This was immediately followed by a third raid. The Israeli planes resumed their attack with a fourth air raid after several minutes, targeting a Hezbollah position in western Qalamoun.”
The Qalamoun area, which borders Lebanon, has been the site of fierce battles between Hezbollah and Assad regime forces and the various Syrian Sunni rebels groups over the past months. It has also been a major relay point for weapons transfers between Hezbollah and the Syrian regime.
The Israeli military did not comment on the reports, as has been its policy in the past when such reports have surfaced.
There have been several previous reports of IAF airstrikes on Hezbollah targets in Syria, primarily against weapons shipments.
The last such report emerged on November 11, when the IAF reportedly carried out airstrikes near Damascus’ airport, targeting weapons shipments intended for Hezbollah. Many of the weapons shipments are financed by Iran.
Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring game-changing weaponry and has warned that any such attempts would be met with a strong Israeli response.
Amid the latest Israeli strikes, the tense situation in Syria continued to escalate on Tuesday, with Turkish F-16s shooting down a Russian Su-24 fighter jet along the Turkish-Syrian border.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Su-24 aircraft was flying over Syrian airspace when the plane was hit, but Turkish officials said the plane violated Turkey’s airspace. Putin said the move by NATO member Turkey would have “serious consequences” for Russia-Turkey relations.