Israel Carries Out Airstrikes Against Syrian Border City of Qusayr

Israel carried out multiple airstrikes today against targets in western Syria, centered around the border city of Qusayr. Syrian state media reported some of the hostile volleys were intercepted by their air defenses, though several strikes appear to have hit different targets.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some of the strikes targeted checkpoints where Syrian government forces were stationed. There were no casualties reported so far, however. The attacks were reported to hit the al-Da’bah and al-Mashtal checkpoints near Qusayr. They also hit a bridge in the nearby village of Joubaniyah and the al-Hawz Bridge along the Syria-Lebanon border.

In addition to this, the strikes also targeted the dirt road leading from the Qusayr area to the village of Shinshar. Shinshar is the site of a main aid distribution center for the hundreds of thousands of Lebanese refugees who have fled into Syria. The aid center was attacked by Israel on Monday.

Today’s attack marks the eighth set of distinct airstrikes against Syria by Israel so far in November. It is also the third time they’ve attacked the area around Qusayr, with other attacks reported on November 1 and November 5.

Though Israel has been launching airstrikes on Syria intermittently for decades, the number of attacks has increased precipitously since the start of the invasion of Lebanon. They have been attacking on nearly a daily basis in recent weeks.

Israel has not commented on today’s strikes, and its not clear exactly what they intended to be targeting. A lot of their strikes seem to be going after cross-border traffic with Lebanon, both weapons smuggling from Syria and refugees fleeing into Syria. There have been other attacks seemingly unrelated, however, which are just aimed at Syrian military personnel.