New Delhi: Israel targeted and destroyed a weapons depot near a Russian air base in Syria before daybreak Thursday, according to Syrian state media reports. The Israeli bombardment in the coastal Syrian city of Jableh was responded by Syrian air defenses and Russian forces within 40 to 50 minutes, they said.
The Israeli bombardment at a depot situated near the Hmeimim Air Base, the largest Russian air base in Syria, located in the northwestern province of Latakia started at 3.55am and ended at 4.41am. Syrian air defence claimed they intercepted 50 projectiles with the help of Russian military. The hostile projectiles reportedly targeted Syria's Latakia, Jableh, and Tartous, according to local media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iD2QATY9IKA
Footage shared on social media showed the aftermath of the strike.
No immediate reports of casualties have been reported.
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The latest attack is seen as Israel's attempt to prevent all weapons shipments from Iran to the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon, which often are delivered via Syria.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of severe consequences after Iran launched over 100 ballistic missiles targeting two military bases of Israel and the headquarters of Mossad, Israel's intelligence service on Tuesday. "Iran made a big mistake today and will pay for it. The Iranian regime does not understand our determination to defend ourselves and our determination to take revenge on our enemies," he said.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed the missile assault was a response to the recent Israeli killings of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and aggression against the Iran-backed armed group in Lebanon, as well as in Gaza.
A large number of senior Hezbollah leaders have been eliminated in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Earlier in July, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was also killed in Tehran. Iran had vowed retaliation in both instances.
Hezbollah has been launching rockets at Israel since shortly after the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Iran's Palestinian ally Hamas, and Israel's crushing retaliatory offensive in Gaza.