“An Israeli airstrike targeted some positions near Damascus,” the Syrian state news agency SANA reported, without any reports of casualties or damage. Syrian air defense systems fired at the attacking Israeli aircraft and residents of the area heard and felt several explosions, SANA reported. Shortly before the Syrian media, Israelis near the northern border filmed Israeli Air Force planes flying overhead. As a rule, the Israeli army does not comment on specific strikes in Syria, but has admitted that it has carried out hundreds of strikes against Iranian-backed groups trying to gain a foothold in the country. It also says it is attacking arms shipments believed to be intended for these groups. Get the Times of Israel Daily E-mail and never miss our top stories By registering, you agree to the terms The last airstrike in Syria attributed to Israel was on Saturday. It happened during the day, which is rare. Footage from Israeli Air Force activity in northern Israel pic.twitter.com/fanZkX6ObQ – Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) April 14, 2022 Local reports reported explosions near the city of Masyaf in the government-controlled province of Hama. Photos posted on social media showed large plumes of smoke in the area. The Masyaf area is considered a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias and has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks attributed to Israel. The area also hosts a facility owned by the Center for Scientific Studies and Research, known as CERS, which has been hit many times in the past. Syria: video showing the various areas bombed tonight by Israel around Masyaf (W. Hama). The biggest blow is the weapons production facility. pic.twitter.com/8lbArlzCD4 – QalaatM (@QalaatM) April 9, 2022 Western officials have long linked CERS to the manufacture of chemical weapons. According to the United States, sarin gas was developed at the center, a charge denied by the Syrian authorities. In early March, Israeli strikes near Damascus killed two Revolutionary Guards officers. The Guards promised to avenge the killings and then launched a crackdown on what they claimed was an Israeli “strategic center” in the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes inside Syria, targeting Iranian forces and terrorist groups allied with Iran, particularly along the Golan Heights. Israeli strikes have continued on Syrian airspace, which is largely controlled by Russia, even since Moscow began its invasion of Ukraine. Israel was at odds with Russia as it increasingly spoke in favor of Ukraine. However, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has refrained from directly criticizing Russia, as Israel seeks to maintain its freedom of movement in the Syrian skies. We tell a critical story Israel is now a much more important player on the world stage than its size suggests. As a Diplomatic Correspondent for the Times of Israel, I am well aware that Israel’s security, strategy and national interests are always under scrutiny and have serious implications. It takes balance, determination and knowledge to accurately convey the history of Israel, and I come to work every day with the goal of doing it to the fullest. Financial support from readers like you allows me to travel to watch the war (I just returned from reporting on Ukraine) and sign historic agreements. And it enables the Times of Israel to remain the place where readers around the world turn for accurate news about Israel’s relationship with the world. If it is important for you to have and thrive on independent, fact-based coverage of Israel’s role in the world, I urge you to support our work. Will you be joining the Times of Israel today? Thank you, Lazar Berman, Diplomatic Correspondent Yes, I will give Yes, I will give Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it You are a devoted reader We’re really glad you read the X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide demanding readers like you with the coverage they need to read about Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not created a paywall. However, as the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers for whom the Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel. For just $ 6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel WITHOUT ADVERTISING, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thanks, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of the Times of Israel Subscribe to our community Subscribe to our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing it
