Source: TheLastAmericanVagabond.com
Just before midnight on Sunday, Israel began launching waves of unprovoked airstrikes against Syrian targets in the center of the country. The attack was the largest committed by Israel against Syria since 2018, killing at least 18 and injuring around 40 people. Despite the hundreds of attacks perpetrated against Syrian civilian and military infrastructure, Damascus has chosen not to respond in years and instead takes its appeals to the United Nations.
“At around 23:20 p.m. (2020 GMT) on Sunday evening, the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of northwestern Lebanon, targeting a number of military sites in the central region [of Syria],” reported Syrian-State media SANA. As a result of the strikes, the Syrian Health Ministry reported that 18 people were killed, including civilians, while an addition 37 were injured; 2 described as remaining in critical condition. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), claimed on the other hand that at least 25 had been killed in the Israeli attack. However, the SOHR is known for publishing unfounded claims, in this case it alleges that of the dead the majority were a combination of Hezbollah and Iranian proxy forces, in addition to 5 civilians and Syrian Arab Army soldiers. It does appear that the majority of those killed were active in the military filed, however, the precise breakdown is not yet fully understood.
At least three separate waves of strikes were reported to have occurred at the time, with air defense systems firing interceptor missiles at incoming projectiles. Explosions were heard in Damascus, Tartous, Hama, and Homs, although the primary targets appear to have been located in the city of Masyaf, where sensitive Syrian military sites are known to be located. A scientific research facility close to Masyaf city, where missile technology is developed, was reportedly struck, as were other targets related to the Syrian air defense and missile storage, although the extent of the damage is unclear.
The Largest Attack In Years
Despite the fact that the Israeli Air Force has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Syria since that time, Syria has not responded since 2018. There is a debate as to why Damascus decides to refrain from striking back, some attributing this decision to their Russian allies, while others argue that it has more to do with the capacity to launch significant defensive maneuvers without things spilling over into a costly war….