Israeli Airstrikes Target 18 Military Locations in Syria
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Damascus, Dec 16 (NationPress) Israeli warplanes executed a series of significant airstrikes in the northwestern Syrian province of Tartus late Sunday and early Monday, impacting no fewer than 18 military sites, according to a war monitor on Monday.
As per the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and eyewitness testimonies, the Israeli strikes were so powerful that earthquake detection apps recorded an event equivalent to a magnitude 3 earthquake in Tartus. Online footage depicted massive fires and explosions.
The observatory noted that these assaults bring the cumulative total of Israeli airstrikes on Syrian military sites to 473 since the Bashar al-Assad government fell on December 8.
The Israeli assaults have been aimed at dismantling remnants of military infrastructure associated with the former Syrian regime, which includes airports, radar facilities, air defense systems, and a variety of weapons and missile storage sites, the report stated.
Among the locations targeted were the 23rd Air Defense Brigade near the village of Huraysun in the coastal area, along with facilities in Isqabla, Dahar al-Baloutiyah, al-Kharab, and Marsahin, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Two additional locations near Drekish and several missile and air defense depots close to the village of Malakah were also hit, in addition to bases north of Akkar Plain inside Syrian territory. Missile platforms located in Battalion 107 in the Zama region of Rural Tartus were targeted as well.
Explosions echoed throughout Tartus as missiles within the warehouses exploded. The strikes resulted in significant material damage, but the observatory reported no immediate casualties.
In a separate event, an explosion shook the only bridge over the Euphrates River, which links Deir al-Zour city to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces-held village of Hatlah, though it remains uncertain if this incident was connected to Israel.
