Israel Attacks Syrian Arms Depot Near Damascus Airport

Israel Reports Drone Shot Down Over Occupied Golan Heights

Israel has carried out another major overnight attack on Syria today, going after an arms depot near the Damascus airport, which they say was a site which Iranian weapons were delivered to. Iranian cargo planes had reportedly arrived at the airport shortly before the attack.

Five airstrikes hit the site, leading to explosions and a fire. No casualties have been reported so far, and Israeli officials offered a rare confirmation for the attack, saying it was “in keeping with” Israeli policy. Israel, of course, attacks Syria regularly, but rarely confirms them publicly.

Following the attack, Israel also reported that they had shot down a drone which entered the airspace over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. They said the drone came from Syrian airspace, but there is as yet no indication whose drone it actually was, or what it was doing.

Israel’s attacks tend to center around Syrian military weaponry which they think might be transferred to Hezbollah, with the official narrative being that the arms would be used against Israel the next time they decide to invade Lebanon. In practice, however, Hezbollah forces in Syria are focusing primarily on fighting against ISIS, which has led Syria to complain that the Israeli strikes are being done to assist ISIS.

Jane’s recent report is likely to add to that, cautioning that any actions taken to undermine the Assad government and its allies would necessarily substantially benefit ISIS. While the Jane’s report focused on the US attacks, it is every bit as true of strikes from other nations.

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.