quadron 161 (“The Black Snake”) marks its reopening as the only “Zik” Squadron (Hermes 450) in the UAV, absorbing all the “Zik” aircraft from Squadron 166 (“Firebirds”). Taken on 6 December 2020 by Amit Agronov. Source: the Israeli Defense Forces.
Two men were killed in southern Syria on September 21 in a drone strike that media outlets affiliated with the Syrian opposition alleged it was carried out by Israel.
The strike took place near the town of Beit Jinn, which is located some 40 kilometers to the southwest of the Syrian capital, Damascus, and around ten kilometers to the east from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
The two men were reportedly riding on a motorcycle when they were targeted. They were named in unverified reports as Ali Okasha Abu Jarrah and Zaher al-Saadi Abu Alaa.
Syrian opposition activists alleged that the two were members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), but sources in the group told the Lebanese al-Ahed newspaper there was no truth to this. Syrian authorities have not yet commented on the strike.
Click to see full-size image. Via Facebook.
Click to see full-size image. Via Facebook.
Click to see full-size image. Via Facebook.
Click to see full-size image. Via Facebook.
The PIJ is the main Palestinian ally of Damascus. The group maintains a political and military presence in Syria. From there, it coordinates with other members of the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Israel attacked the PIJ in Syria on several occasions in the past. Last March, the group said that Israeli intelligence assassinated one of its senior commanders in the country.
If confirmed, the drone strike would be the second Israeli attack on Syria this month. On September 13, two waves of strikes hit the country. The first wave targeted air defense bases in the western coastal governorate of Tartus, killing two service members and wounding several others. The second wave hit a military research center in the west-central governorate of Hama. Only material losses were reported there.
Israel has carried out hundreds of air attacks against Syria over the past decade, but it rarely acknowledges responsibility. Still, Israeli officials repeatedly warned that they will not allow their arch-foe Iran to expand its military presence in the war-torn country or smuggle advanced weapons from there to its other allies.