Illustrative image. (U.S. Air Force)
Late on December 9, a salvo of rockets targeted a key air base located right next to the Syrian capital, Damascus, where United States troops could soon be deployed, in the second such attack in recent weeks.
Three rockets were fired at Mezzeh Air Base – located just under four kilometers away from the People’s Palace to the southwest of Damascus – causing no casualties or damage, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported, adding later that the launchers used in the attack were found by security forces in a nearby area.
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Arab News Agency)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Arab News Agency)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Arab News Agency)
Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Arab News Agency)
The air base came to first public attention on November 6, when a report by Reuters revealed U.S. plans to establish military presence there.
While the report didn’t name the air base, per say, it said that a U.S. C-130 transport aircraft made a test landing there. An MC-130-series special-mission aircraft of the U.S. Air Force was spotted landing at the base then taking off within minutes earlier on October 2.
Mazzeh was heavily damaged by a series of intense Israeli strikes following the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad last year. Its 2,517 meter-long runway somehow survived, however.
On November 15, a rocket attack hit the Mazzeh 86 neighborhood right next to the air base, wounding at least one person. The base was likely the real target.
Just a few days later, specifically on November 21, a report by Sky News Arabia confirmed that the air base the U.S. is planning to take over near Damascus was indeed Mazzeh. The report said that the air base is meant to support a “security agreement that Washington is working to conclude between Syria and Israel.”
Syria’s Islamist-led Interim Government has grown closer to the U.S. in recent months, going as far as joining the anti-ISIS coalition led by Washington.
The country’s accession to the coalition came after a landmark meeting on November 10 between the U.S. President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by the United Nations, at the White House.
During the meeting, the U.S. Treasury Department announced a 180-day extension of its suspension of enforcement of the so-called Caesar sanctions. A compete revocation of the sanctions is expected soon with the approval of the U.S. Congress.
The U.S. Central Command announced on November 30 that its forces located and destroyed more than 15 sites containing ISIS weapons caches in southern Syria in cooperation with government forces, in the first such joint operation between the two sides.
It is very possible that recent rocket attacks on Mezzeh were orchestrated by ISIS. However, the government is yet to officially accuse the terrorist group.
Another possible scenario is that radical Islamist elements from the government itself carried out these attacks as a way to protest growing ties with the U.S. and the recent accession to the coalition. Despite promoting the removal of sanctions as worthy the price for cooperating with Washington, Sharaa has been facing more internal criticism for this push.
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business is booming.
exclusive video | first jewish temple and school inaugurated in al-jemayliyah neighbourhood in aleppo
delegation led by israeli hakhams attends the event under strict security measures
on dec 10, 2025
aleppo province: sohr activists have reported that a jewish organisation visited a jewish temple and school, which had been closed decades ago, in al-jemayliyah neighbourhood in aleppo city during a religious-cultural event with the participation of an association that operates in north syria.
the event was also attended by two hakhams (jewish clergymen) who came from israel without prior announcement.
the syrian observatory for human rights has obtained exclusive video footage documenting the event which is the first of its kind in aleppo city in decades and comes as a part of a series of unprecedented israeli activities in syrian territory in recent months.
during the visit, which was the first of its kind in three decades, the delegation inspected two archaeological synagogues in al-jemayliyah and bab al-nasr.
according to sohr sources, the site where the event was held experienced heavy deployment of general security members who cordoned off the street and prevented anybody from approaching the perimeter of temple during the inauguration.
the visit to aleppo city aimed to inspect the assets of syrian-jewish people.
according to sohr sources, the governor of aleppo vowed to undertake the cause of the assets of syrian-jewish people and to work on restoring their rights, after networks of corrupt officials had seized those assets during the rule of al-assad regime.
this coincides with the increasing israeli activities in syria, including security and reconnaissance operations and religious-cultural events held away from media outlets.
those developments have sparked public anger and concerns about expansion of the israeli influence in areas controlled by syria’s transitional government through civil and religious channels.
on the other hand, sohr sources have reported that the visit by the two israeli hakhams comes a few weeks after similar activities in damascus, including unannounced meetings with local characters.
https://www.syriahr.com/en/374714/
please get rid of the mercenary video at the top, it detracts from the quality of your content, which is usually excellent. thanks
the russians are jewish pigs and i hope the day comes when they have to report on nato’s invasion of moscow on their sf.