FILE PHOTO: Israeli F-15 fighter jet © Reuters
On August 25 afternoon, a new series of Israeli strikes targeted positions in the western Syrian governorates of Tartus and Hama.
A military official told the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency that Israeli fighter jets launched the strikes from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, claiming that most of the “hostile missiles” were intercepted by Syrian air defenses.
The main target of the strikes was a large complex of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) located in the outskirts of Masyaf town in the western countryside of Hama. The SSRC is Syria’s main military research and development body. Israel targeted several facilities of the SSRC, including Masyaf complex, on many occasions in the past.
The Israeli strikes wounded at least two civilians in Masyaf, where a series of secondary explosions and large fires were reported.
This was Israel’s third attack on Syria this month. On August 12, two Syrian civilians were wounded when an Israeli battle tank targeted a military observation post near the town al-Hmidaiah in the countryside of al-Quneitra in the southern region. Later on August 14, three Syrian soldiers were killed and three others were wounded as a result of a series of Israeli strikes that hit two air defense bases near of the town of al-Qutayfah in the eastern countryside of Damascus and in the town of Abu Afsa in the southern Tartus countryside.
The recent strikes were a part of Israel’s “War-Between-Wars” campaign, which is meant to push Iran and its allies out of Syria as well as to prevent them from developing their offensive capabilities.
Syria and its allies have been growing frustrated with Israel’s repeated attacks. Iranian-backed forces in Syria responded to the August 14 strikes by targeted two US bases in northeastern and southeastern Syria.
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