Claimed image of an Israeli missile strike on a base near Damascus, Syria, October 30, 2021



UPDATE, NOV 24:

Israeli warplanes reportedly have again struck Assad regime targets near Homs in central Syria, with Syrian State TV claiming two civilians were killed.

The Assad regime’s military added that six soldiers and a civilian were injured early Wednesday morning. It acknowledged damage to several structures while issuing its standard, unsupported claims that missiles were downed.

The Russian military said the strike was carried out by six Israeli F-16 jet fighters who fired 12 guided missiles from Lebanese airspace.

The Israel Defense Forces followed their policy of no comment.


UPDATE, NOV 9:

In their third airstrikes on Assad regime territory in nine days, Israel’s warplanes have struck sites near Homs and Tartous in western Syria.

Assad’s military said the attack was in the early evening on Monday. Among the targets was Shayrat airbase near Homs, from which the regime has launched conventional and chemical attacks.

Unconfirmed reports said Israel was again striking Iranian-controlled weapons depots, seeking to disrupt supplies to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

The attacks were Israel’s sixth within the past month.

The Assad military said the missiles were fired from Israeli jets flying off the coast of Lebanon, north of Beirut. It issued its standard rhetoric that most of the missiles were downed.


UPDATE, NOV 3:

The Assad military reports more Israeli strikes near Damascus early Wednesday morning.

A military official told SANA news agency that surface-to-surface missiles, fired from northern Israel, struck the Zakia region outside the Syrian capital and caused “material damage” just before 3 a.m. He did not give any information on targets or casualties.


UPDATE, OCT 31:

The second set of Israeli strikes in six days on pro-Assad targets has killed at least two troops near Damascus.

Israeli missiles fell on bases on Saturday in a rare daytime raid.

The regime’s military issued its template statement that most of the missiles were intercepted and destroyed, but acknowledged the casualties and damage.

Unconfirmed claims said at least five Iran-supported militiamen were killed and several wounded.

Israel has regularly targeted bases with Iranian personnel in the Damascus suburbs, seeking to hinder transfer of weapons to the Lebanese organization Hezbollah.

Both Iran and Hezbollah have been essential in propping up Bashar al-Assad and his military since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.


ORIGINAL ENTRY, OCT 25: Reports indicate Israel struck two pro-Assad targets in southern Syria early Monday.

Warplanes fired missiles on positions near the town of al-Baath, close to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Two large missile depots were said to have been hit.

There is no news yet on casualties. As usual, the Israel Defense Forces refused comment.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes inside Syria since the country’s uprising began in March 2011. Israeli Governments under Benjamin Netanyahu and, since June, Naftali Bennett have targeted Iranian weapons transfers to Lebanese ally Hezbollah, pressed for Iran’s military withdrawal after Tehran propped up the Assad regime, and sought to prevent Tehran and Hezbollah establishing a military presence near the Golan.

On Friday, Prime Minister Bennett met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in southern Russia. An Israeli minister said Bennett obtained Putin’s assent to Israel’s ongoing strikes on Iran, Hezbollah, and regime targets — an arrangement first established in September 2015, just before Russia’s massive military intervention to prevent the fall of Assad.

Last week Israel allegedly assassinated a senior Assad regime intelligence office, Midhat as-Saleh, on the Syrian side of the Golan.