An Israeli Air Force F-35 fighter jet flies during an aerial demonstration at a graduation ceremony for Israeli airforce pilots at the Hatzerim air base in southern Israel December 29, 2016.. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)
The August 25 large-scale Israeli aerial attack on western Syria have reportedly resulted in some heavy civilian and military losses.
The main targets of the attack were a key complex of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) located to the northeast of Masyaf in the western countryside of Hama and a large facility of the Defense Factories in the area of Zawi to the north of the same town. Both targets were struck by Israel multiple times in the past.
The SSRC is Syria’s main military research and development body, while the Defense Factories provides traditional ammunition to the Syrian military.
The Israeli strikes inflicted damage on the Defense Factories. However, the SSRC complex was badly hit. The complex’s depots exploded after receiving direct hits. Secondary explosions went on well into the morning of August 26, forcing local authorities to evacuate civilians from a number of nearby towns and villages.
The secondary explosion in Zawi facility wounded 14 civilians, damaged dozens of residential building and caused a series of wild fires that was still ongoing as of August 26 afternoon.
Israeli fighter jets launched the devastating strikes from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea using stand-off munitions. Syrian air defenses intercepted several of these munitions. However, this was not enough to foil the large-scale aerial attack.
This was Israel’s third confirmed attack on Syria this month. The first attack, which took place on August 12, targeted a military observation post in the countryside of al-Quneitra, while the second attack, which was on August 14, targeted two air defense bases in the eastern countryside of Damascus and the southern countryside of Tartus.
Israel intensified its attacks on Syria in the recent months in an attempt to mount more pressure on Damascus and its allies, first and foremost Iran. These attacks are supposedly meant to push Iranian-affiliated forces out of the war-torn country as well as to prevent the delivery of advanced weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
