An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli airforce pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel December 29, 2016.. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
Late on October 8, a series of Israeli strikes hit Syria’s largest air base, known as the T-4, in the eastern countryside of Homs.
In a statement to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a Syrian military source revealed that the strikes were launched from the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf which has been occupied by the US-led coalition since 2016. The coalition maintains a garrison with some 200 troops in the area.
“At about 9:33 PM this evening the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction of the military area of Al-Tanf with bursts of missiles towards the T-4 air base in the central region,” the unnamed source said.
Syria’s air-defenses fired at the incoming Israeli missiles. Several missiles were allegedly intercepted. Nevertheless, the air base was hit.
According to the SANA’s military source, six service members were wounded in the Israeli strikes. The T-4 air base also sustained material damage.
This was the first Israeli attack on T-4 air base, which is located in the heart of Syria, this year. On September 2 of last year, a series of Israeli strike damaged the base’s main runway and destroyed a radar site.
Iranian-backed forces are known to be stationed in T4 air base. In 2019, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps moved its main weapons supply center in Syria from Damascus International Airport to the base. On the same year, work to expand the base began.
The new attack on the T-4 was likely a part of Israel’s “War-Between-Wars” military campaign. The campaign is meant to push Iran and its allies out of Syria as well as to prevent them from developing their offensive capabilities. None of these goals have been achieved, yet.
