Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Israel Says Its Jets Struck Iranian Military Sites in Syria
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
January 21, 2019

Share

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said its jets struck Iranian military targets in Syria early Monday, an announcement that marked a rare departure from Israel’s years-long policy of ambiguity regarding activities in neighboring Syria.
The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp.

The military said the targets included munition storage facilities, an intelligence site and a military training camp.
The strikes were in response to a surface-to-surface rocket that Iranian forces fired toward Israel on Sunday that was intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system over a ski resort in the Golan Heights. That launch followed a rare Israeli daylight air raid near the Damascus International Airport.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday’s pre-dawn strikes lasted for nearly an hour and were the most intense Israeli attacks since May. It said 11 were killed in the strikes. The Russian military said four Syrian troops were among those killed in airstrikes that targeted three different locations and damaged unspecified infrastructure at Damascus airport. There were no further details on the casualties or their nationalities.
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesman, said the Iranian missile attack that prompted the Israeli response was “premeditated.” Iranian forces in Syria fired the mid-range missile toward Israel from the Damascus area — a missile he said had been smuggled into Syria specifically for that purpose. Conricus declined to further identify the type of missile but said it hadn’t been used in any of the internal fighting of the civil war and had “no business” being in Syria.
The chief of Iran’s air force, Gen. Aziz Nassirzadeh, meanwhile said his forces are “impatient and ready for a fight against the Zionist regime to wipe it off the Earth,” according to a news website affiliated with Iran’s state television.

Hundreds of Strikes Against Iranian and Hezbollah Targets

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “pounded” the Iranian sites in response to the missile attack and would not hesitate to respond again.
“We don’t allow such acts of aggression to go unanswered as Iran attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria and in the face of Iran’s explicit statements that it intends to destroy Israel,” he said. “Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility.”

“We don’t allow such acts of aggression to go unanswered as Iran attempts to establish itself militarily in Syria and in the face of Iran’s explicit statements that it intends to destroy Israel. Whoever tries to harm us, we will harm them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
An official from the so-called “Axis of Resistance” — led by Iran and made up of Syria, Iraqi Shiite militias, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and other groups — said no Hezbollah or Iranian fighters were killed or wounded in the Israeli attacks. He said Israel tipped off Russia ahead of the strike and Russia had informed the Syrians.
“We will be taking this Israeli response into consideration,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “The conditions are getting closer to war every day and a war might break out on several fronts.”
Israel has only recently acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes against Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria in recent years. It previously refrained from commenting directly for fear of triggering a reaction and being drawn into Syria’s civil war.
Israeli political and military leaders have been far more verbose of late, and Monday’s announcement went a step further, reporting the strikes in real time and detailing the targets.
Conricus would not confirm whether the measures marked an official abandonment of the policy of ambiguity.
He said Israel had warned Syria ahead of the attack to refrain from attacking Israeli warplanes, but that Syria ignored those warnings and fired anti-aircraft missiles. He said Israel responded by destroying Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. The Russian military said Syrian air defenses shot down over 30 Israeli cruise missiles.

‘Live Testimony’ to Iran’s Entrenchment in Syria

The Israeli military said the Mount Hermon ski site has been closed.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said the Iranian rocket attack provided “live testimony” to Iran’s entrenchment in Syria, warning it could plunge the entire region into war.

“Unfortunately … everything is connected to his political survival. What does the publication give us? Can someone tell me what the benefit is, besides politics?” — Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon
Speculation has abounded in Israel on what is driving the newfound overtness of its actions, with many suggesting domestic politics could be a factor ahead of Apr. 9 elections.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the military had no choice but to comment after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took credit publicly for the strikes. Yaalon said he supported the strikes but not the “chatter” around them, and he accused Netanyahu of playing politics with the country’s security.
“Unfortunately … everything is connected to his political survival,” Yaalon told Israel’s Army Radio. “What does the publication give us? Can someone tell me what the benefit is, besides politics?”
However, Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser, said the public remarks were intended to escalate Israel’s response without widening its military operations.
“If you want to … make clear to the other side that you are determined to prevent something, either you escalate the operation … or you say in public ‘I am doing it,’ meaning ‘I am ready to take the risk,'” he said.
Amidror said the ball was now in Iran’s court to see how far the latest conflagration would escalate.
You might also like:

Analysis: Israel and Iran Are on a Collision Course in Syria – and the U.S. and Russia Don’t Care (Haaretz)

John Bolton Wants to Bomb Iran — and He May Get What He Wants (The Intercept)

Mike Pompeo Lied About the U.S. and the Middle East. Here’s the Truth. (The Intercept)

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

DON'T MISS

When to Expect Fresno County Election Results

DON'T MISS

Israeli Strikes Target Syria for a Second Day in a Row

DON'T MISS

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

DON'T MISS

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

DON'T MISS

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

DON'T MISS

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

DON'T MISS

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

DON'T MISS

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

DON'T MISS

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

UP NEXT

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

UP NEXT

Palestinians in Gaza Fear Neither Candidate in US Election Will Help Them

UP NEXT

Ukrainian Troops Have Engaged With North Korean Units for the 1st Time in Russia, an Official Says

UP NEXT

Middle East Latest: Dozens Killed in Gaza as Israel Says It Targeted a Weapons Facility

UP NEXT

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

UP NEXT

Israel Ends Agreement With UN Agency Providing Aid in Gaza

UP NEXT

US Confirms Reports That Iran Arrested an Iranian-American Citizen

UP NEXT

Israel Says It Carried out Ground Raid Into Syria, Seizing a Syrian Citizen

UP NEXT

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East

UP NEXT

North Korea’s Long-Range Missile Test Signals Its Improved, Potential Capability to Attack US

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

3 hours ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

3 hours ago

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

3 hours ago

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

4 hours ago

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

4 hours ago

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

4 hours ago

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

5 hours ago

Cryptocurrency Markets, Promoted by Trump, Brace for Election Volatility

5 hours ago

Trump, Vance and Allies Hurl Insults at Women as Race Ends

5 hours ago

NFL Trade Deadline: Lions Get Za’Darius Smith, Cowboys Add Jonathan Mingo

6 hours ago

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

A road rage incident turned violent when a driver assaulted another motorist with a weapon before fleeing the scene, the California Highway ...

55 mins ago

A road rage incident in Fresno County escalated into a violent assault and a high-speed pursuit, resulting in the suspect's arrest and vehicle impoundment. (CHP)
55 mins ago

Fresno County Road Rage Incident Leads to Violent Assault, High-Speed Chase

1 hour ago

When to Expect Fresno County Election Results

The wreckage left by Israeli airstrikes in Dahieh, a predominantly Shiite suburb of south Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday, Nov. 5 2024. (Daniel Berehulak /The New York Times)
2 hours ago

Israeli Strikes Target Syria for a Second Day in a Row

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks as former first lady Melania Trump listens after they voted on Election Day at the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
3 hours ago

Trump Snaps at Reporter When Asked About Abortion: ‘Stop Talking About That’

3 hours ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

3 hours ago

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

Residents vote early in Dearborn, Mich., Nov. 3, 2024. Like in 2020, the vote count will still feature “blue mirages” or “red mirages,” in which one candidate builds a fleeting lead simply because mail or Election Day ballots are counted first. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
4 hours ago

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

4 hours ago

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

Search

Send this to a friend