An Israeli official says air strike targeted Syrian weapons shipment headed to guerrillas in Lebanon; Syrian chemical weapons facility not targeted.
Israel has carried out an air strike into Syria, targeting a shipment of missiles bound for Hezbollah guerrillas in neighboring Lebanon, an Israeli official said on Saturday.
The Jewish state has made clear it is prepared to resort to force to prevent advanced Syrian weapons, including President Bashar Assad’s reputed chemical arsenal, reaching his Hezbollah allies or Islamist rebels taking part in a more than two-year-old uprising against his government.
The target of Friday’s raid was not a Syrian chemical weapons facility, a regional security source earlier told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
A US official, who also declined to be identified, had told Reuters on Friday the target was apparently a building.
The attack took place after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved it in a secret meeting on Thursday night, the security source said.
CNN quoted unnamed US officials as saying Israel most likely conducted the strike “in the Thursday-Friday time frame” and its jets did not enter Syrian air space.
The Israeli air force has so-called “standoff” bombs that coast dozens of kilometers (miles) across ground to their targets once fired. That could, in theory, allow Israel to attack Syria from its own turf or from adjacent Lebanon.
Lebanese authorities reported unusual intensive Israeli air force activity over their territory on Thursday and Friday.
A Lebanese security source said his initial impression was that Israeli overflights were monitoring potential arms shipments between Syria and Lebanon, potentially to Hezbollah, a militant Shi’ite Muslim ally of Iran and Assad.
Syrian government sources denied having information of a strike. Bashar Ja’afari, the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations, told Reuters: “I’m not aware of any attack right now.”
But Qassim Saadedine, a commander and spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army, said: “Our information indicates there was an Israeli strike on a convoy that was transferring missiles to Hezbollah. We have still not confirmed the location.”
In January this year, Israel bombed a convoy in Syria, apparently hitting weapons destined for Hezbollah, according to diplomats, Syrian rebels and security sources in the region.
Israel has not formally confirmed carrying out that strike.
From Haaretz
Israel’s northern front isn’t quiet anymore: Will Damascus retaliate?
—
That would certainly make my day – an opportunity to crush Hezbollah forever “in the confusion”. I dunno if too soon – maybe but gotta be done while the war is hot.
Syrian report: Israel bombs outskirts of Damascus for second time in two days
“Mistah Kurtz—he dead.” twice.
yamit82 Said:
Where is the evidence? to me it appears to have been a feint, doing the same thing it did a couple of weeks ago. Pretending to be flying over Lebanon and from those positions attacking Syria. A much better message to send.
I am not convinced by this analysis. Why do it further west from the sea. If they did it from above Lebanon they have not even entered Syrian airspace and attacked Syria from an allied nation. It is a double slapp in the face of Syria and hezbullah showing that they are impotent. It also shows them that they never know what trick they might play, that it is more than just weapons systems as they can always pull out a surprise. Why send a missile to cross Lebanon when you are already in Lebanon? Does anyone have better details of this, such as when the attack was made in relation to the series of flights over Lebanon?
Attack into Syria – message to Iran
Analysis: Obama using Israel to show Assad supporters that US is serious when it says ‘all options are on the table’
Jolly good show.
Encore!
Encore!
Bernard Ross Said:
Amen
Well played, but I hope they are not letting all their cats out of the bag too early