Click to see full-size image. Source: the Israeli Air Force.
A key base of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) was reportedly among several targets near the Syrian capital, Damascus, which were struck by Israel late on August 21.
The Syrian Arab News Agency said that Israeli Air Force warplanes launched the attack from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights.
Syrian air defenses engaged incoming Israeli missiles. Large explosions from interceptions were heard over the capital. However, the state-run news agency reported, citing a military source, that “material damage” was caused to the targets and one soldier was wounded.
The next day, Israel’s Alma Research and Education Center revealed on X, previously known as Twitter, that one of the targets was a base of the SAA’s 1st Division near the town of Kiswah, which is located a few kilometers to the south of Damascus. The large base has a network of bunkers and hosts a number of air defense systems.
Click to see full-size image.
This was the first confirmed Israeli attack against Syria since August 7, when a series of strikes hit targets near Damascus, killing four soldiers.
Israel has carried out hundreds of aerial attacks against Syria over the past decade. However, it rarely acknowledges responsibility as the attacks are a part of a covert military campaign known as the war between the wars. The campaign is meant to prevent Iran from establishing a lasting presence in the country or smuggling advanced weapons to Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon.
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