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An Israeli drone strike hit a mini-truck near the southern Syrian town of Beit Jinn, located just ten kilometers away from the occupied Golan Heights, on August 22.
In a statement claiming responsibility for the strike, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said that it targeted a “terror operative” who “advanced terror attacks in final stages of preparation.”
“The terrorist’s activity posed an immediate threat to our forces,” the military said.
The Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported that a man was moderately wounded in the strike, with activists later identifying him as an ex-member of the now-defunct 4th Armoured Division. The unit was one of the elite formations of the former Syrian military.
Israeli Army Radio later reported that the man was planning to plant an improvised explosive device to target IDF troops in southern Syria.
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Syria condemned the Israeli drone strike as a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty and “blatant breach of international law.”
“This attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic and the integrity of its territory, and a blatant breach of international law, and comes in the context of repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The strike in Beit Jinn came just four days after the IDF attacked Abu Duhur air base in northwestern Syria to stop Turkey from deploying forces there. The attack on the air base sparked tensions with Ankara, and even drew criticism from the United States.
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who is also a special envoy to Syria and Iraq, suggested in an interview with Lebanese-Australian entrepreneur Mario Nawfal broadcast on August 22 that a recent attack on Abu Duhur could have been an attempt by Israel to “bait” Turkey into conflict ahead of the elections.
“One theory is they were just baiting Turkey, and it’s a very aggressive, but maybe well-received, pre-election concept,” Barrack said, implying that conflict between Israel and Turkey would serve Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the elections scheduled for October 27.
Also during the interview, Barrack said that Israel “occupies” the Golan Heights, in direct contradiction to the official U.S. position, after Washington recognized Israeli sovereignty over the territory during President Donald Trump’s first term.
In response, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Barrack’s remarks were “full of inaccuracies” and included “positions that contradict the position of US President Trump.”
Regarding the attack on Abu Duhur, Katz said the IDF had recommended “several times” striking the air base due to Turkey’s alleged plans to deploy forces there, which “would endanger the security of the State of Israel.”
Katz added that after several discussions held with Benjamin Netanyahu and the military, “it was agreed that before granting approval [for the strike], a direct warning would be issued to the Syrian regime at the highest levels in an attempt to prevent [Turkey’s] move, and that is what was done.”
The defense minister noted that “at the same time, the intelligence was conveyed to the relevant authorities in the United States.”
After Israel’s warning “went unanswered,” Katz said he and Netanyahu “authorized the IDF to carry out the strike, and it was successfully carried out.”
Turkey lashed out against Israel over the attack on the air base, while Syria itself adopted a more tame response, condemning the strikes while maintaining its interest in a security agreement with Israel. The attack certainly pushed Damascus a little away from Ankara, and seeing this result, it is natural for Israel to escalate further.
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is the turkish admin about to get back-stabbed by its child of idlib or were turkish forces around idlib working for nato all along? they are still full members of nato after all.
the arrogant jews want war with turkey let them start it see what happens if they attack a n.ato country. it will be the beginning of their downfall. it triggers spain to sanction shipping through gibraltar to israel. this is why the jews attack ceuta. spain needs teach the jews and the moroccan king a lesson.
turkey better double down on syria and build air defenses and rebuild the syrian military. they wanted to take it over now they inherhit israels aggression along with it.
you believe nato will help turkey lol turkey is on its own if they dare to attack israel then nato will attack turkey
so it would be article 5 in reverse, got it.
the jooz and the turks are fighting like rats in a sack! heheheheh
that is soooo right!
double penetration of syria and turkey!
heheheh
the jooz are running around like demented rats spitting in the faces of the whole world.
like demented rats ?
always have been ; vermin wherever they go. if you had a gun in your hand then it wouldn’t be too difficult letting loose a few rounds in their direction.
let dog eat dog. let rattlesnake bite rattlesnake. (with apologies to the dog and rattlesnake communities)
syria doesn’t exist any more.
it is i.s.f.k.a.s.
islamic state formerly known as syria.
likewise the syrian army doesn’t exist any more.
it is i.h.a.t. f.k.a.s.a.a.
islamic headchoppers and throatslitters formerly known as syrian arab army.
syria claimed to be a sovereign nation? it is a failed installed puppet dictatorship. israel strikes all neighbors. that is policy.
the turks are responsible for everything that is happening in syria, they used islamist maniacs to invade back in 2012 and supported the terrorists for years, there was no reason at all why turkey attacked syria when they could have had good relations with assad.
a primavera árabe na síria foi fortemente apoiada por erdogan. agora que assad caiu que ancara e istambul sejam bombardeadas por israel. o feitiço volta contra o feiticeiro.