Another wave of Israeli strikes hit Syria and Lebanon on February 9, targeting sites linked to Hezbollah and the now dissolved Syrian Arab Army.
In southern Syrian governorate of al-Suwayda, multiple strikes targeted the Khalkhalah Air Base, according to the local Al-Suwayda 24 news blog, which didn’t report any casualties. Fighter jets, drones and air defense systems are known to be deployed at the air base, which is located in the northern countryside of the governorate.
The air base was targeted more than once by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) after the fall of the Assad regime last December. There was no comment from the Israeli side on the latest strikes.
Meanwhile in the southern Lebanese governorate of Nabatiyeh, Israeli strikes hit Houmine, Aazze and Kafroue, according to Lebanese media. An additional strike targeted the Quld al-Sab’a crossing in the eastern Beqaa Valley. No casualties were reported in any of the targeted areas.
The IDF claimed responsibility for the strikes, saying in a statement that it had hit several targets, including a tunnel between Lebanon and Syria used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons.
The military said that the tunnel, in the Beqaa Valley, was struck in the past. “The IDF is determined to prevent restoration and use of this tunnel,” it noted in a statement.
Additionally, the military said that it targeted several Hezbollah sites which included weapons and rocket launchers that “posed an immediate threat,” to Israel.
According to the IDF, the targeted sites were “a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.”
The strike on the crossing in the Beqaa Valley came amid clashes between local Shiite clans linked to Hezbollah and Syrian government forces in nearby areas.
Hezbollah took heavy losses in the confrontation with Israel which broke out more than a year ago as a result of the war in the Gaza Strip. The United States brokered a ceasefire last November. However, the IDF has been using a term within the agreement that gives it the right to act against any immediate threat to continue to launch strikes against Lebanon.
The latest strikes show how Israel has been taking advantage of the ceasefire with Hezbollah in Lebanon and the recent fall of the Assad regime in Syria to further degrade the military capabilities of both countries.
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