U.S. Official: Israeli Warplanes Strike Missiles Allegedly Destined for Hizbullah near Syria's Latakia
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Israeli warplanes have struck a military base near the Syrian city of Latakia, targeting missiles that might have been destined for Hizbullah, CNN quoted an Obama administration official as saying on Thursday.
An explosion at a missile storage site in the area was widely reported in the Israeli press, but an attack has not been confirmed by the Israeli government.
The target, according to the Obama administration official, was “missiles and related equipment the Israelis felt might be transferred to Hizbullah.”
The official declined to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the information.
Meanwhile, The Associated Press also quoted U.S. officials as saying that Israeli warplanes attacked a military target inside Syria.
An Obama administration official confirmed the attack happened overnight Thursday but provided no details.
Another security official said that the attack occurred in the port city of Latakia and that the target was Russian-made SA-125 missiles.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the attack.
Another U.S. official confirmed to Agence France Presse that "there was an Israeli strike" but gave no detail on the location or the target.
"Historically targets have been missiles transferred to Hizbullah," the official said.
Israeli government officials contacted by AFP refused to comment on the reports.
Lebanon's MTV quoted unnamed sources in Jerusalem as saying that Turkey was behind the Latakia attack, in revenge for the recent shooting down of a Turkish plane in the same area.
Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television quoted unnamed sources as saying that two Israeli airstrikes had targeted Damascus and Latakia on Wednesday evening.
The raids totally destroyed shipments of SA-8 surface-to-air missiles destined for Hizbullah, the sources said.
Al-Arabiya also quoted sources from both the Syrian opposition and regime as saying that a Latakia air defense base was targeted Wednesday night by a rocket fired from the Mediterranean Sea.
Israel's Channel 2 said a missile fired from a warship targeted a Russian S-125 missile system that has recently arrived at the Latakia military base.
Also on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a series of explosions struck an air base in Latakia, a regime stronghold.
"Several explosions were heard in an air defense base in the Snubar Jableh area" on Wednesday, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.
He said the cause of the explosions is "unclear" and that no casualties have been reported.
A Syrian security source meanwhile told Agence France Presse that "a rocket fell near the base, causing a fire to break out."
In July, ammunition warehouses in the area were hit by rockets.
In May, Israel carried out two airstrikes inside Syria, and a senior Israeli official told AFP both targets were Iranian weapons destined for Hizbullah.
31 October 2013, 21:59
5214
Wait wait wait, he said he will respond to any future Israeli aggression... I am waiting.............................oops, nothin
31 October 2013, 22:33
5415
pleeease... the assads have been supporting israel for years... and if my enemy smacks my other enemy around a bit.. id still be happy.
31 October 2013, 22:58
1052
Have you seen what the so called "rebels" does to Christians in Syria?
01 November 2013, 08:28
467
I'm disappointed in you mystic. Have you seen what the so called regime did and does to Lebanese? What he did with the Christians? What he is doing with the Sunni? One is as bad as the next. But one screwed my country. The other is screwing his own.
31 October 2013, 22:35
525
a guy who said parliament was unconstitutional is the last one to be calling anyone an idiot.
31 October 2013, 22:37
523
hahahahahaha the joke of the decade... syria won? won what? oh im sorry.. israel did not annex the golan syria annexed Jerusalem.. hahaha sue the doctor.. he dropped you..
01 November 2013, 08:33
451
You talk to yourself.
Israel got a peace deal. On ITS terms. No wonder you guys think 2006 was a victory. If this is how you measure victories. Haha.
31 October 2013, 23:37
503
it's not 40 u ignorant... Go and get some knowledge, also wash ur mouth before talkin...
01 November 2013, 00:41
495
funny page here: when it suits their propaganda the pro assad always spit on CNN, al arabiya, AFP labeling them as sionist, paid propaganda....
here they give them credit and don't refer to the sources of this article!
usually they make fun of any report from al arabiya or CNN...
but here? funny no?
01 November 2013, 02:45
646
anonymetexasusa
Have you been to the South of Lebanon? How are you sure of this? The Qatari's did give a sizable donation to the Sinora gov't, but who is to say where that money went.
As for Mr. Nasrallah's organization. The money the received from Iran was quite sizable as well, and yes many of the higher ranking officials did keep alot of the money for themselves, they are corrupted no doubt about it.
But re-construction was mostly done by Iran, that you can be sure of.
My sources are real, unlike the sources of info you are getting.
Do you need me to get some relationship therapy for you and insideman? It seems you have alot to discuss with him.
01 November 2013, 03:06
463
italktoyou,
I am sure those tunnels are all approved by the Lebanese Government and are controlled by the LAF. Iranian puppet.
01 November 2013, 03:09
646
Tony Farris my beloved brother, please when we are finished in Syria taking out Al assad and all the minorities including Christians, please join us to cut off the heads off all the Christians in Lebanon :D
01 November 2013, 03:10
464
italktoyou,
Israel would have given the South much sooner (and even Shabaa Farms) if the treaty approved by our Government in the 80's was not cancelled by the hegemony of Syria and its tentacles in Lebanon (HA being one of the main Syrian tentacles).
01 November 2013, 04:44
474
hizballa is pushing normal lebanese in the arms of izrael. clearly.
01 November 2013, 06:08
468
Wow... look at all those Patriotic Assad/Iranian cheerleaders go, don't fall over yourselves ladies :-)
I hope the Israelis blow up every stinking missile the Glorious militia is planing to smuggle into Lebanon. Let the Great Resisters Assad & Nasrallah fight the Israelis on Syrian soil for a change, instead of using Lebanon as their mail box.
01 November 2013, 06:43
464
mr.black, everyone knows Iran and Syria are the "lands of the free" ... fortunately Lebanon is blessed to have Nasrallah lurking underground enforcing freedom, Axis style. And if all goes as planned, someday Lebanon can become part of the "lands of the free" as a Syrian governorate or maybe even part of the Iranian Crescent... can anyone hope for more?
01 November 2013, 08:34
443
Not when that Arab country bombed yours. Where is your shame?
01 November 2013, 10:31
282
@puppy : you're truly one of the most brainless person here. Those people who do actually stand for their beliefs and fight for their thoughts, stand up against Hezbollah and Assad, you either call zionists or terrorists. Most of those are freedom fighters which want nothing more than to live normal lives. Yet you're too stupid to see that!
The first line of resistance to Assad and Hezbollah are true patriots, Lebanese and Syrian who oppose state terrorism and oppression and hate Israel more than you fakesters who hide behind the illusion of a "resistance" to mask their crimes, murders and wars.
Shame on you for being brainless and totally blind!
01 November 2013, 12:32
301
It is funny how most anti-Hezbollah comments get 25 dislikes yet most of the comments are anti-Hezbollah. They must be buying "dislike" votes.
01 November 2013, 12:44
273
This proves that Israel can reach any point in Syria without any detection or prevention.
01 November 2013, 14:52
133
note that neither syrians nor israelis talked about this raid :) LOL
01 November 2013, 18:22
130
"HA has rockets that can destroy Israeli cities...." LOL that is why he never used them in 2006... we are still waiting for the rockets to fall on haifa! LOL
and israel is happy to have hezbollah next door... it is good for their economy as it maintains lebanon weak LOL
think of it....
01 November 2013, 21:28
111
so what? hezbi will never dare use them, just like in 2006 and the promise they made to launch rockets on haifa wa ba3d haifa! LOL he was very happy to jump on the ceasefire, remember? he accepted it straight away! funny for someone who promised to bomb!
03 November 2013, 17:01
10
Christian M14s are the backbone of the cedar revolution, go hide with ur boss in some sewage. We respect KSA and emirates coz they are fighting Hezz the cancer.
