Al Mayadeen reports that Syrian air defenses intercepted at least two inbound Israeli missiles over Tartous, and multiple explosions were reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The coastal city is situated north of Lebanon and is rarely the subject of Israeli attacks, and one big reason Israel typically avoids targeting it is the fact that Russia has assets and bases in the city and its surroundings. Tartous is also home to the only deep-water port in the Mediterranean for the Russian Navy.
The IDF has not commented on the situation, but they rarely issue comments about strikes in Syria. The country is believed to be a major thoroughfare for the passage of Iranian arms to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Israel recently attacked Syrian military sites
Earlier this month, Israel launched deadly attacks on a number of Syrian military sites, causing at least 16 fatalities. Israeli special forces targeted a top-secret Hezbollah missile production facility in the northwestern part of the country in a commando raid that saw the facility hit with air strikes before being stormed by ground forces, who made their way in by rappelling down from helicopters to seize evidence.
The dramatic raids saw them getting inside the facility's reinforced inner rooms buried deep beneath the ground in the side of a mountain, making it impossible to target them with air strikes alone.
It is believed that the initial round of Israeli airstrikes preceding the commando raid destroyed at least four Syrian military positions, which include an air defense site, while a follow-up round of strikes hit a building connected to a maze of underground tunnels. The site was used for manufacturing precision-guided missiles for Hezbollah that Israel believes make it easier for the terrorist group to strike targets in Northern Israel.
Israel has been carrying out a dramatic offensive against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. So far, at least 500 people in Lebanon have died, including 94 women and 50 children, and there have been more than 1,800 injuries.
The latest escalation is spurring concerns that fighting will ramp up throughout the region, especially if Iran enters the fighting in Lebanon directly.
World leaders condemn Israel’s attacks on Lebanon
A number of world leaders have gone on the record recently sharing their fears that Israel’s latest aggression in the region could spark a broader global conflict.
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati stated: “The continuing Israeli aggression on Lebanon is a war of extermination in every sense of the word and a destructive plan that aims to destroy Lebanese villages and towns.”
He urged the UN and other “influential countries” to press Israel to stop.
Meanwhile, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement warning that Israel’s attacks “mark a new phase in its efforts to drag the entire region into chaos.”
They added: “The countries that unconditionally support Israel are helping Netanyahu shed blood for his political interests.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry took an even stronger stance, unequivocally condemning Israel’s actions and highlighting their potential global consequences.
“This reality exacerbates crises, puts the region on the brink of the abyss, and exposes it to more tensions that will have a profound impact regionally and internationally,” they noted.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia have also weighed in with condemnation. The only western government that has condemned Israel’s actions in Lebanon so far is Spain, whose foreign ministry called for an end to “the spiral of violence.”
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