On the night of December 10, the Israeli Air Force conducted a large-scale offensive, targeting more than 250 military sites across Syria.
This was reported by Israel’s army radio Galei Tzahal.
A source within Israel’s defense establishment described it as “one of the largest operations in the history of the [Israeli] Air Force.”
The strikes reportedly hit dozens of Syrian Air Force fighter jets, anti-aircraft missile systems, weapons production and storage facilities, and stockpiles of surface-to-surface missiles.
Key targets included three major air bases:
Qamishli in northern Syria
Homs, Syria’s third-largest city
Mezzeh Airport in Damascus
According to Al Arabiya, the attacks destroyed numerous fighter jets and helicopters.
Additional airstrikes hit the Barzah area in northern Damascus, where 15 rockets were fired, demolishing several scientific research facilities.
Targets also included research centers in Jemraya (north of Damascus) and Masyaf (west of Hama province), as well as an electronic warfare control center in the Aqraba area southeast of Damascus.
The airstrikes follow a series of Israeli ground and air operations in Syria.
Earlier, Israel had targeted Syrian army positions in Latakia and an arms depot in Daraa province. Israeli ground forces also crossed the demilitarized zone into Syria for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, securing strategic positions on Mount Hermon and other key locations near the Golan Heights.
These moves were reportedly aimed at preventing armed opposition forces, which recently ousted Bashar al-Assad's regime, from seizing control of military facilities that could be used against Israel.
Israel informed the United States about its plans to establish control in the buffer zone, emphasizing that this is a temporary measure to stabilize the security situation along the border.
According to Axios, Israel has warned Syrian anti-government forces to avoid approaching the border, threatening military action if they do.
Recent Developments in Syria
On December 8, Syrian rebels seized control of Damascus, prompting President Bashar al-Assad to resign and flee to Russia, where he was granted asylum.
In the immediate aftermath, Israel targeted chemical weapons storage facilities in Syria to prevent them from falling into rebel hands.
According to reports, the strikes also hit a research center in Damascus that could be used by Iran for long-range missile development and the Khalkhala airbase in southern Syria.
