3 dead in Israeli strikes on 'Hezbollah depots' in Syria
Israeli airstrikes have killed two Syrian soldiers and wounded six others on Syria's west coast, state media said, quoting a military source.
"At exactly 17:22 (1422 GMT) this (Wednesday) afternoon, the Israeli enemy carried out strikes... from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea targeting some of our air defense sites in Tartus," the official news agency SANA quoted the source as saying.
"The aggression led to the death of two soldiers, and wounded six others," it added.
During more than a decade of war in Syria, neighboring Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said Wednesday's strikes also targeted a weapons depot belonging to Lebanon's Hezbollah.
The British-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria confirmed the death of the two soldiers, adding that a fighter whose nationality was unknown was also killed "in attacks believed to be Israeli missile fire."
Since the start of the war in Syria, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, mainly targeting forces backed by Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah, allies of Damascus and sworn enemies of Israel, as well as the Syrian army.
Israel rarely comments on individual strikes it carries out on targets in Syria, but it has repeatedly said it would not allow its archfoe Iran, which supports Damascus, to expand its footprint there.
When questioned by AFP on Wednesday, an Israeli army spokesman said he didn't comment on "foreign media reports."
Later in the evening, Israeli aircraft again struck Syria, targeting the scientific research center in the mountains of the village of Taqsis, in the province of Hama, where explosions were heard, the Syrian Observatory said, reporting no casualties.
Syria's war has killed more than half a million people since it broke out in 2011, sparked by the repression of pro-democracy protests.
It quickly escalated into a deadly conflict that pulled in foreign powers and jihadist insurgents.
14 September 2023, 11:09
11
I must say, they seem to be chipping away.
Little by little, day by day.
14 September 2023, 19:21
01
"Israeli attacks against the resistance in Lebanon.." Oh dear, yanii, I wish Iran paid for some geography lessons for you also, instead of never-to-be-used weapons..
14 September 2023, 20:10
01
I tend to agree with your statement, Hezbollah has never been this strong and the first victims are Lebanon and the Lebanese , not the Zionist terrorists.
15 September 2023, 01:10
01
At what expense, one must ask? Certainly, it is worth acknowledging the presence of some form of deterrence attributed to Hezbollah. However, the state of Lebanon today bears little resemblance to a functioning nation. Its infrastructure is in a state of disarray, and the economy has suffered a catastrophic collapse. The massive exodus of its citizens and the hemorrhage of intellectual talent have left Lebanon devoid of a promising future.
What we truly require is not deterrence but rather a policy of neutrality regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict. All factions involved should have their weapons confiscated by the LAF, and these arms should be returned to them at the border when they are ready to reclaim their homes.
