Suspected Israeli Strikes Hit Villa On Syria’s Coast (Photos)

Click to see full-size image. Via Facebook.

Early on March 1, a series of strikes hit a villa in the town of Batraya in the northern countryside of the coastal Syrian governorate of Tartus.

The villa, whose owners remain unknown, was completely destroyed by the strikes. Several nearby residential buildings were also damaged, according to photos posted to social media. Locals reported hearing three blasts. There were no reports of casualties.

Syrian media blamed the attack on Israel. However, this is yet to be confirmed by the Syrian Ministry of Defense or the official SANA news agency.

This was the third alleged Israeli attack against Syria in the last 72 hours. Late on February 28, heavy strikes hit the Shia town of Set Zaynab in the southern outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, where Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed forces are known to be present.

And on February 29, a drone strike hit a truck near the town of al-Qusayr in the southwestern Homs countryside, close to the border with Lebanon. A fighter of Hezbollah was killed and another was wounded in the attack, according to unverified reports.

Israel has been attacking Syria for over a decade. The attacks have become more frequent since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip. Recent strikes targeted Syrian military sites and personnel of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated forces. Some of the strikes resulted in civilian casualties.

Syria, which is still struggling to overcome the destruction and division caused by more than 13 years of war, has so far largely refrained from responding to Israel’s repeated attacks, likely to avoid a dangerous confrontation.

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