Illustrative image. (The Israeli Defense Forces)
Another wave of Israeli strikes hit the air bases of T4 and Palmyra in the central Syrian governorate of Homs early on March 25.
The strikes hit “remaining military capabilities” at the two key air bases, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a brief statement, adding that it will “continue to act to remove any threat to Israeli citizens.”
Video footage posted to social networks showed one of the strikes that hit Palmyra air base. Meanwhile, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which reported that Israeli fighter jets were flying over the eastern Homs countryside ahead of the aerial attack, didn’t report any casualties.
This was the second wave of Israeli strikes to target the T4 and Palmyra in less than a week. The first attack, which took place on March 21, wounded some a dozen government fighters and caused extensive damage to both air bases.
Palmyra air base was hit at least three times, while the T4, the country’s largest air base, took some 16 strikes. Nearly all of the base hardened aircraft shelters were destroyed or damaged in addition to the runway and ammunition depots. Warplanes and air defense systems were also destroyed.
Separately, explosions were also reported on March 24 at Baly Air Base to the southeast of the Syrian capital, Damascus. It is still unclear if these explosions were also caused by an Israeli attack.
After the fall of the Assad regime last December, the IDF invaded the buffer zone adjacent to the occupied Golan Heights and established nine posts there. The military also launched hundreds of strikes against the country, destroying much of its combat capabilities including nearly all of the Syrian Arab Air Force.
The last few days saw an uptake in Israeli strikes on Syria with the country’s Islamist-led interim government refraining from even condemning the attacks.
Overall, Israel appears to be determined to prevent Syria from rebuilding its military capabilities. This will make the country even more vulnerable to foreign interventions.
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