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New Delhi:
Israeli Air Force (IAF) jets launched a series of intensive strikes across Syria on Sunday, targeting key military and strategic installations. The strikes were aimed at neutralising Syrian weapons that Israel feared might fall into hostile hands amid civil unrest following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) took control of the buffer zone between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights.
Dozens of Israeli aircraft were mobilised to strike multiple locations in Syria. According to a Times of Israel report, the operation focussed on eliminating “strategic weapons” including advanced missile storage sites, air defence systems, and weapons production facilities.
Among the targets were the Khalkhala airbase near Sweida and the Mezzeh airbase in Damascus. The Khalkhala airbase, abandoned by Syrian army troops the night before, contained stockpiles of missiles and air defence batteries, the report said. Subsequent strikes hit key locations in Damascus, including a security complex in Kafr Sousa and a government research centre associated with guided missile development.
These operations extended beyond Damascus, with local media reporting strikes in Daraa and Suwayda Governorates in southern Syria. The targets included infrastructure for sensitive military data and weapon components.
On the ground, the IDF launched a parallel operation to secure the buffer zone along the Israeli-Syrian border. The move marked the first significant Israeli military presence in the zone since the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the measure was necessary due to the collapse of Syrian forces in the region.
Troops from the elite Shaldag Unit seized the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, encountering no resistance. Images of Israeli soldiers planting a flag on the mountain peak quickly circulated online.
The airstrikes and ground operations came in the wake of the Assad regime’s sudden collapse. This marked the end of the Assad family’s half-century rule over Syria.
