More than 60 Israeli attacks hit military sites in just a few hours across Syria, almost a week after the takeover of Damascus by an armed coalition, said a non-governmental organization (NGO).
The (OSDH) recorded “61 attacks in less than five hours” on Saturday night by Israel, which has intensified attacks on the neighboring country since the escape of President Bashar al-Assad.
The NGO, based in the United Kingdom and with a vast network of contacts in Syria, said this wave of bombings brought to “446 the total number of air attacks since December 8”.
“Israel continues to intensify air strikes against Syrian territory, in particular to completely destroy the tunnels under the mountains,” added the OSDH, specifying that “fragmentation missiles” were used.
“These tunnels contained warehouses for ballistic missiles, ammunition, mortars and other military equipment,” the organization said.
On Saturday night, the NGO also reported Israeli attacks on other weapons depots in the Qalamoun region, near Damascus, but also near Deraa and Soueida, in southern Syria.
The organization said that a “scientific institute” and other military positions in Barzé, in the far northeast of Damascus, had been destroyed by Israeli attacks.
Israel also targeted a “military airport” near the city, the OSDH said.
The organization added that this series of attacks against “the former regime’s military installations” aims to “destroy what remains of the Syrian army’s military capabilities.
On Friday, the Israeli Air Force also targeted a “missile base on Mount Qassioun in Damascus”, the NGO added, as well as an airport in the Soueida region and “research and defense laboratories in Masyaf”, in the province of Hama.
Attacks defend “Israel’s security”
The Chief of General Staff of the Israeli army, Herzi Halevi, defended that the objective of the attacks in Syria is to “guarantee Israel’s security” and not to interfere in the destinies of the neighboring country.
“We are not interfering in what is happening inside Syria, nor do we intend to govern it,” said the leader of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
During an operational meeting on the situation in the Golan Heights, cited by local media, Halevi added that any Israeli intervention is being “handled with professionalism, determination and precision.”
The Chief of General Staff insisted that the armed forces are “unequivocally involved in ensuring the security of Israeli citizens living in border communities.”
After , Israel also deployed the army in the demilitarized zone with Syria, in the Golan Heights.
Syrian insurgent leader, Ahmed al-Charaa, assured on Saturday that he was not interested in entering into conflict with Israel and called for urgent intervention from the international community to stop the Israeli escalation against the Arab country.
Rebels from the victorious Islamist coalition the Levant Liberation Organization (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, in Arabic), which includes the former Syrian branch of Al-Qaida, launched a lightning offensive on November 27 from the city of Idlib. , a stronghold of the opposition.
In a few days, the HTA managed to put an end to the al-Assad family regime, in power since 1971, the year in which Hafez al-Assad took power through a coup d’état.
Hafez’s son, Bashar al-Assad, who has led Syria for 24 years, left the country with his family on December 8 and requested political asylum in Russia.
With Lusa
