Reports from international observers, UN resolutions, or official announcements

Israel Launches 352 Attacks on Syrian Military Arsenal, Destroying Over 90% of Air Defenses

Dec 13, 2024, 03:11 AM

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have conducted an extensive military campaign in Syria, severely damaging the country's air defenses by destroying over 90% of its strategic surface-to-air missile systems. This operation, which involved hundreds of Israeli fighter jets and aircraft, targeted not only missile systems but also key Syrian air bases and manufacturing and storage facilities, including a critical site in Homs. The IDF's actions were aimed at neutralizing Syria's military capabilities amid escalating regional tensions. In addition to the air strikes, Israeli forces have carried out ground incursions into Syrian border cities like Ruwayhina and Umm Batinah in the central countryside of Quneitra, using tanks and infantry to search houses, confiscate weapons, and destroy military sites. Over the past several days, Israeli aviation has carried out more than 352 attacks throughout Syrian territory, targeting the military arsenal of the Syrian Army, including Damascus and other areas in southern Syria. These aggressive moves come in the context of Israel's occupation of approximately 300 square kilometers of Syrian territory since the fall of the Assad regime, a measure described by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as temporary to prevent jihadist groups from filling the security vacuum.