Operation clean-up: IDF targets Assad's strategic weapons depots to prevent capture by rebels
The IDF said it was working to reduce the large stockpiles of strategic ammunition belonging to the Syrian military.
The IDF launched dozens of strikes across Syria on Sunday, based on intelligence from the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Mossad, and Air Force Intelligence following the fall of the Assad regime.
The IDF said it was working to reduce the large stockpiles of ammunition belonging to the Syrian military.
It was one of the most significant days for the IAF since the start of the war.
According to foreign publications, the IAF carried out over a hundred attack sorties in Syria and attacked hundreds of targets in what were once the Syrian army's weapons depots. The operations were commanded from the air force's bunker by Air Force Commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar.
Hitting depots and stopping repos
According to publications in Syria, the Air Force initially attacked the anti-aircraft batteries left behind by Assad's forces, who had retreated from the rebels. The Air Force sought to clear the ground of any threat to the planes from the very beginning of the operation, and within a short time, the Air Force was granted complete freedom of action in the skies of Syria.
The goal was to hit weapons depots that included surface-to-surface missiles, anti-tank missile depots, tanks, heavy artillery, and other large weapons depots.
Israel fears that weapons will reach militias linked to ISIS or Hezbollah.
The Air Force also struck border crossings between Syria and Lebanon after detecting the movement from Syria to Lebanon.
At the same time, according to Lebanese and Syrian reports, the air force attacked a convoy of one hundred vehicles, some of them armored, that crossed the border from Syria into Lebanon.
According to the reports, this was a convoy of Hezbollah forces that had withdrawn from the town of Al Qusayr in the Shiite region of Syria back to Lebanon after the city of Homs and other towns in the region fell into the hands of the rebels.
It was also reported that Israel bombed the scientific research center in Damascus, where chemical weapons and ballistic missile programs were developed.
Later today at noon, Syria reported that "Israel carried out two attacks on the military airports in Al-Maza and Khalahla."
Apparently, "strategic" weapons were destroyed so that they would not fall into the hands of the rebels. The Russian Sputnik news agency reported that "the Israeli air force attacked all military airports in Damascus and its suburbs and in the southern region."
Two hours later, according to Syrian reports, Israel carried out a wave of attacks on Damascus. Reuters noted that "Israel bombed the scientific research center in Damascus where chemical weapons and ballistic missile programs are managed."
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