Israel has reportedly carried out a number of attacks in northern and central Syria this evening, hitting sites near the major cities of Homs, Palmyra and Latakia. Details about the extent of the damage caused are still emerging.
The first of the strikes was reported near Homs, hitting a military base according to Syrian media. The size of the strike was unclear though locals reported a substantial explosion from the area of the base. Since this was at night in Homs, the details may not be fully clear until Tuesday.
Syrian air defenses were activated during these attacks, and explosions were also reported near Palmyra and Latakia, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting the strike near Latakia was also aimed at a military site just south of the city. The Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the strikes as a blatant infringement of regional stability, and accused them of being a part of an ongoing Israeli escalation.
Conspicuously absent in all of this is any comment from the IDF. That’s not unheard of, as Israel often attacks Syria and only sometimes comments on why they do so. In April an attack on a military site near Palmyra was carried out mostly without official comment, and to the extent they addressed it at all it was presented as sending a message to Turkey.
No casualties have been reported at any of the strikes, though given the time of night such details may simply not be available to local media yet. Israel has carried out scores of strikes on Syria so far this year, killing at least 61 people according to the Syrian Observatory.
Last month Israel and Syria were reported to be engaged in direct talks aimed at reducing military tensions. Little has been said of those talks since then though, and given the substantial number of Israeli strikes since then, it seems safe to assume they’re not going particularly well. Israel invaded Syria in December, and has built multiple military sites across the southwest.
