Syria Complains to UN After Israel Attacks Damascus Airport

Lebanese TV Claims Sites Were Iranian Intelligence Locations

Earlier Sunday, Israeli warplanes launched multiple attacks on Syria, hitting at least 10 distinct sites, mostly in and around the Damascus International airport, but also including a military installation along the Lebanese border in Dimas.

Syria has filed a formal complaint with the United Nations about the attack, saying they believe the Netanyahu government attacked to try to distract attention from the early elections. Syria’s Foreign Ministry is pushing for immediate sanctions.

What was attacked is still a subject of no small speculation, as the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) said it was conceivable the sites were Hezbollah arms dumps, though they appeared to have no evidence supporting that.

By contrast, Lebanese TV was reporting that the sites hit were “crucial intelligence-linked locations” that Syria’s military was letting Iran use. Syrian state media said Russian anti-aircraft defenses were attacked, and Israel is refusing to either confirm or deny the attacks.

All Syria has said about the attacks was that there were no casualties. Israeli warplanes were flying over eastern Lebanon all day Saturday in the lead-up to the attack, and Lebanon’s Army claimed to have fired on Israeli drones, though clearly without any effect.

Israel has repeatedly attacked Syrian and Lebanese targets throughout the Syrian Civil War, though it rarely issues any specific statements about them.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.