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 5 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

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

DON'T MISS

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

DON'T MISS

Canadian School Boards Sue Snapchat, TikTok and Meta for Disrupting Students’ Education

DON'T MISS

California Law Enforcement Agencies Obstruct Transparency Efforts in Use-of-Force Cases

DON'T MISS

No Police Charges for Taylor Swift’s Dad Over Paparazzi Incident in Sydney

DON'T MISS

Biden Administration to Lend $1.5B to Restart Michigan Nuclear Power Plant, a First in the US

DON'T MISS

Tonight’s Biden Fundraiser With Obama and Clinton Already Nets a Record $25 Million

DON'T MISS

Ukrainian Navy Says a Third of Russian Warships in the Black Sea Have Been Destroyed or Disabled

DON'T MISS

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

DON'T MISS

Trump Criticizes Judge and His Daughter After Gag Order in Hush-Money Case

No data was found

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

3 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

3 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

3 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

4 hours ago

Biden’s Fundraiser with Obama and Clinton Nets a Record $25 Million, His Campaign Says

4 hours ago

Fresno Unified’s Self-Protection Racket Is Hurting Our Kids

4 hours ago

Rockin’ Out or Laughing, the Valley Has Its Pick of Weekend Events

5 hours ago

Ex-Correctional Officer at Women’s Prison in California Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Inmates

7 hours ago

Caitlin Clark and Iowa Draw Nearly 5 Million Viewers for Second-Round NCAA Win

8 hours ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

PGA HOPE, now underway at Fresno’s Riverside Golf Course, is designed to introduce golf to veterans and active duty military members t...

1 hour ago

PGA HOPE at Fresno's Riverside Golf Course
1 hour ago

PGA HOPE at Riverside Golf Course Introduces Military Veterans to the Game

2 hours ago

Cronenworth’s Big Hit Helps Lift the Padres to a 6-4 Win Over Melvin’s Giants

3 hours ago

Shohei Ohtani Reaches 3 Times in Home Debut as the Dodgers Rout the Cardinals 7-1

3 hours ago

Facebook News Tab Will Soon Be Unavailable as Meta Scales Back News and Political Content

3 hours ago

Stock Market Today: Wall Street Rises to More Records to Close Out Its Latest Winning Month

3 hours ago

A Fresno County First: Kerman Council Passes Amended Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution

3 hours ago

UN Top Court Orders Israel to Open More Land Crossings for Aid into Gaza

4 hours ago

How Involved Is Southern California Consulting Firm in FUSD Executive Dealings?

MENU

CONNECT WITH US

Search

Send this to a friend