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On the night of 3 April, the Israeli army carried out a series of powerful air strikes in southern Syria. The main strikes fell on the forested area near Jabailiya, west of the village of Naua, in the province of Deraa. According to Syrian sources, at least ten people were killed.
The operation, according to official information from the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces), was a response to an attack by armed militants on units of the 474th Brigade operating in the area of the village of Tasil. The Israeli military arrived there to locate and destroy weapons caches, but faced armed resistance. Several attackers were eliminated by ground and air fire. At the same time, there were no casualties among the Israeli military.
IDF strikes targets in three provinces
Simultaneously with the events in the south, on the evening of 2 April, the Israeli Air Force attacked military targets in several other Syrian regions. In Hama province, a military base was hit, and in Homs, a T-4 facility, which had been targeted many times in the past, was hit. In the suburbs of Damascus, in the Barzeh neighbourhood, a research centre, which, according to the Syrian authorities, is of strategic importance, was struck.
IDF artillery also shelled the areas of Harsh Tasil and Tal al-Juma in the Deraa province, as well as Tal al-Ahmar north of Khan Arnab in the Quneitra province.
What’s behind it?
While Israel traditionally does not comment on most of its operations in Syria, this time the IDF explicitly confirmed the goal of destroying terrorist infrastructure that threatens Israeli security. Behind the scenes, these strikes are Israel’s efforts to curb Iran’s influence in Syria and prevent the redeployment of weapons to Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.
Tensions on the northern front remain high, and judging by recent events, Israel is ready to act decisively. According to the IDF press service, the army will continue to act “to eliminate any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel”.
