Israel strikes widely in Syria, sending signal of aggressive post-Trump posture

Jerusalem/Amman, November 18

Israel launched air raids in opposition to what it known as a variety of Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria on Wednesday, sending a sign that it’s going to pursue its coverage of putting throughout the border regardless of US President Donald Trump’s election defeat.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a conflict monitor, mentioned no less than 10 folks have been killed. Syria’s state information company reported three army personnel killed and one wounded.

The Observatory mentioned the lifeless included 5 Iranians from the elite Quds Force and no less than two Lebanese or Iraqi Shi’ite militiamen. A commander of pro-Damascus forces denied Iranians or Lebanese have been among the many casualties.

Israel has recurrently attacked what it says are Iranian-linked targets in Syria in recent times, and stepped up such strikes this yr in what Western intelligence sources describe as a shadow conflict to cut back Iran’s affect.

But Wednesday’s assaults struck a far wider vary of targets than traditional, and the Israeli army was extra forthcoming in regards to the particulars than prior to now, suggesting a transparent intention to ship a public message about Iranian involvement in Syria.

Trump, who misplaced his re-election bid on November 3, has been a powerful backer of Israeli army intervention in opposition to Iranian forces in Syria. President-elect Joe Biden has mentioned he’ll attempt to revive a nuclear settlement with Iran that Trump deserted.

“Biden has to ask himself, precisely what’s Iran after in Syria,” Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen mentioned on Army Radio after the Israeli strikes.

Israel mentioned it was retaliating for what it known as an Iranian-sponsored operation through which Syrians planted explosives close to an Israeli army base within the occupied Golan Heights.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli army spokesman, mentioned eight targets have been hit, belonging to the Syrian military or the Quds Force, in areas stretching from the Syrian-controlled facet of the Golan Heights to the Damascus periphery.

They included an Iranian headquarters at Damascus worldwide airport, a “secret military site” that hosted Iranian army delegations, and the seventh Division of the Syrian armed forces, he mentioned. Syrian surface-to-air defences have been additionally hit after firing at Israeli planes and missiles, Conricus mentioned.

A former Syrian army commander advised Reuters the assaults additionally focused bases of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah in Syria. Conricus made no point out of Hezbollah.

Western nations say the Quds Force of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards is liable for supporting Tehran’s allies in proxy conflicts throughout the Middle East, coordinating Shi’ite militia fighters from Lebanon, Iraq and elsewhere.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s authorities has by no means publicly acknowledged that there are Iranian forces working on his behalf in Syria’s civil conflict, solely that Tehran has despatched army advisors.

Western intelligence sources say Israeli strikes this yr have undermined Iran’s in depth army energy in Syria with out triggering a serious enhance in hostilities. — Reuters