Israeli airstrikes have again targeted points in the vicinity of the Syrian capital, Damascus. A Syrian military source reported to Reuters today, Monday, that salvos of Israeli missiles originating from the direction of Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon targeted several sites around Damascus. The source added that Syrian air defenses intercepted these missiles, resulting in some material losses.
These strikes come after several reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights early this month (January 2022), indicating that Hezbollah had begun excavation and expansion operations for an old military base previously used by the Syrian regime for training on reconnaissance aircraft and as a training center for air intelligence personnel. This base is located near the town of Khirbat al-Ward, close to the Sayyida Zaynab area south of the capital, where Hezbollah has been present since 2015. The Iran-backed group has also dug shelters within this base, which houses its experts and personnel.
It is worth noting that over the past years, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, targeting sites of the regime's army, particularly Iranian positions and those of Hezbollah's militia. However, in recent months, these strikes have escalated following what is referred to as the "shadow war" against Iranian-related targets deep within Syria. While Israel rarely officially confirms the execution of such strikes, successive Israeli governments over the past decade have repeatedly stated that they would continue to respond to what they describe as Iranian attempts to entrench its military presence in Syrian territory. This is particularly relevant, given the numerous factions and groups backed by Tehran, led by Hezbollah, that operate extensively in the suburbs of Damascus, as well as in eastern, southern, and northwestern Syria, not to mention areas along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
