Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Israel Expands Scope of Attacks in Syria

JPOST

Twenty one people were killed, including nine Iranians, in Thursday night’s attack on the Dabaa military airport in central Syria, Sky News reported on Saturday.

The strike was reportedly aimed at Hezbollah members and militias supporting the Assad regime.

According to reports, six strong explosions, allegedly caused by missile strikes, were heard in the Homs region, near the Lebanese border. Syrian air-defense systems reportedly attempted to intercept the missiles.

Asharq Al-Awsat Saturday, 26 May, 2018

Western diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday that Tel Aviv (They won’t say Jerusalem) has informed Moscow about its decision to “expand the scope of its red lines” in Syria by preventing Iran from consolidation its military presence and that of its militias, including “Hezbollah,” across all Syrian territories, and not just in the south.

The “red lines” previously aimed to prevent Iran from transferring missiles to its militias and to “Hezbollah,” and to halt the establishment of permanent Iranian bases or missile factories.

“Israeli missiles targeted on Thursday al-Dabaa Military Airbase and its vicinity in the western countryside of Homs, where the Lebanese Hezbollah and militiamen loyal to Syrian regime forces and non-Syrian nationalities are located,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday.

While no official statement was made by Israel concerning the attack, several media outlets confirmed the Observatory’s report.

Meanwhile, the summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in St. Petersburg Friday produced a deal to launch a “joint mechanism” capable of finding “common ideas that could push towards a comprehensive deal in Syria.”

They both agreed that further assistance to the long-term political settlement in Syria is required.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday that Turkish and US officials have outlined a roadmap for cooperation on Manbij, northern Syria.

“The Turkish-US Working Group on Syria met today in Ankara to continue ongoing talks regarding Syria and other issues of mutual interest and cooperation,” the statement said.

It added that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would meet on June 4 to consider the recommendations of the working group.