Israeli missiles causied fires and explosions, “likely to be due to the explosion of a batch of Iranian missiles,” said a local group.
By Aryeh Savir, TPS
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted an extensive series of strikes in Syria on Wednesday night, the country’s state media reported.
Syria’s official SANA news agency reported that the IAF targeted the Aleppo International Airport with a missile strike that caused material damage to the airport.
About an hour and a half later, the IAF conducted another strike from the direction of Lake Kinneret, targeting “some points southeast of Damascus.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that four Israeli missiles hit a runway at the International Aleppo Airport and warehouses in its vicinity, causing fires and explosions, “likely to be due to the explosion of a batch of Iranian missiles.”
The Saudi Al-Haddath channel reported that Iranian weapons systems were targeted in the attacks.
The IDF has remained silent on the report, as it usually does after reported operations in Syria.
Several sources have reported that Russia has recently removed its advanced S-300 air defense system from Syria and transferred it to the war in Ukraine, thus creating a better opportunity for Israel to attack Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria.
These latest strikes were the 22nd and 23rd Israeli attacks in Syrian territory in 2022, according to the SOHR’s count. The last attack occurred earlier this week.
Iran routinely attempts to arm the Lebanon-based Hezbollah with advanced weapons. Israel has exposed and thwarted multiple attempts by Iran to transfer game-changing weapons to Hezbollah, including by air shipments from Iran, through Damascus Airport.
Over the years, the IAF has carried out thousands of attacks to thwart the Iranian entrenchment in the war-torn country and to prevent Hezbollah from accumulating advanced weapons.
According to the SOHR, the IAF conducted 29 strikes in Syria throughout 2021. The attacks hit 71 targets and killed 130 people, including 125 combatants from the Syrian military, Hezbollah and Iranian-backed Shiite militias.