Syrian television claims that the Israeli military hit targets near Damascus today.
The Jerusalem Post reports:
“The Israeli enemy committed aggression against Syria by targeting two safe areas in Damascus province, in all of Dimas and near the Damascus International Airport,” state television said, adding that there were no casualties.
Residents in Damascus said they heard loud explosions.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the conflict, said that 10 explosions were heard near Dimas.
According to foreign reports the attack targeted a warehouse of advanced S-300 missiles, which were en route from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Dimas is outside of Damascus and near the border with Lebanon.
Once again, when all is said and done, what is the only country taking the battle directly to #Asad? #Israel. http://t.co/J2REuDaup1
— Robert Satloff (@robsatloff) December 7, 2014
The Times of Israel reports that Syria charged that the attacks showed that Israel meant “to help the terrorists.”
“This aggression demonstrates Israel’s direct involvement in supporting terrorism in Syria along with well-known regional and Western countries to raise the morale of terrorist groups, mainly the Nusra Front,” the military said in a statement carried by SANA.
There is no evidence Israel has provided any support to the Nusra Front, which is al-Qaida’s affiliate in Syria.
Israel has neither admitted or denied the attacks.
Oh look, secondary explosions https://t.co/87fK8WlqDG #Israel #Dimas #Syria
— Judge Dan (@JudgeDan48) December 7, 2014
Ha’aretz reports:
Al-Mayadeen, a pan-Arab television channel that is regarded as being close to both Hezbollah and the Syrian regime, reported that Syrian anti-aircraft batteries stationed at the airport had fired two missiles at the planes during the attack. …
Lebanese sources that the Israeli air force had been flying over southern Lebanon since Sunday morning. It was not specified whether the planes entered Syrian air space or fired from within Lebanese air space.
IAF strikes in May 2013, targeting al-Dimas – site of today's strike – thwarted an imminent weapons transfer to #Hezbollah. #Syria
— Brooklyn Middleton (@BklynMiddleton) December 7, 2014
Two weeks ago Iran boasted that it had shipped rockets to Hamas and Hezbollah that “could hit any place in Israel.”
#Israel air strikes reportedly targeted #Syria's top secret Jamraya research centre – BBC did a profile last year: http://t.co/KmEBC54I9V
— Julia Macfarlane (@juliamacfarlane) December 7, 2014
[Photo: U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Lee Osbury / WikiCommons ]