Syrian State media said that at least sixteen people were killed and dozens injured in a Sunday night attack by the Israelis that targeted central Syria. The attack happened near the city of Masyaf in Hama province and produced fire, which contributed to large material losses, according to Syria’s official news agency, SANA.
The initial estimate of the number of deaths was 14, with 16 confirmed deaths and 36 injured, which are the official numbers, and some of the local health officials said that several of whom were critically injured. A military official who addressed SANA said the raids had been carried out from the northwest of Lebanon, and they targeted several military locations in the middle of Syria.
“The air defense systems indeed fired at the incoming missiles, and some were successfully shot down,” the military source said but did not give any other details. As is customary, Israel’s military rarely speaks about operations inside Syria.
According to two regional intelligence sources, the research establishment used by the Syrians for employing chemical weapons near Masyaf was attacked several times for using Iranian military experts to develop the weapon.
The recent airstrikes are unaccompanied by enhanced regional tensions, especially after the recent assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in the month of July. The Iranian officials have verbally threatened the Israelis with very serious consequences, but they have not followed it up.
During the course of the seven-year-long Syrian conflict, Israel regularly bombed the country with an emphasis on eliminating Iranian facilities. It has led to cross-border hostility, especially between Israel and Hezbollah, which has vowed to continue with military campaigns for Palestinians due to Israeli attacks on Gaza that have caused many civilian casualties.
