Israel strikes military targets in Syrian city of Tartus - Media
Powerful explosions are heard in the Syrian city of Tartus (twitter.com)
On the night of December 16, the Israeli Air Force carried out powerful strikes on military targets located in the port city of Tartus, Syria. The city hosts a naval base used by Russian forces, as well as a military ship repair yard, according to The Times of Israel and Newsru.co.il.
It is noted that Israeli airstrikes also targeted sites in Syria's Latakia province.
According to Israeli media, a Syrian military observer described the attack on the Tartus facilities as the most powerful strike in the area in over ten years, since 2012.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) claims that Israeli military aircraft struck several sites, including air defense units and ground-to-ground missile bases.
Syrian sources reported that the targets in Tartus included an air defense base and a storage facility for ground-to-ground missiles.
It is also noted that, according to VolcanoDiscovery, at 00:48 Damascus time, weak underground tremors with a magnitude of 3.0 were recorded in the Tartus area following the strikes and explosions.
#BREAKING: Aftermath of a massive airstrike of the #Israel Air Force at a #Syrian missile base near #Tartus just a few minutes ago. Despite warnings of #Turkey, the #IDF continues its operations in #Syria in-order to ensure that No major weapons will be left for the #Turkish… pic.twitter.com/ocZa1crgRV
— Babak Taghvaee - The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) December 15, 2024
#Tartus - in #Syria pic.twitter.com/Ddm92W72Um
— OSINT WWIII (@OsintWWIII) December 15, 2024
Israel's operation to destroy military targets in Syria
Earlier reports indicated that after several hours of the Syrian rebels capturing Damascus and the flight of Bashar al-Assad from the capital, Israeli forces began securing strategic sites across Syria.
Israeli officials claim that such actions by the IDF in Syria are defensive, and aimed at ensuring the safety of Israel.
On December 10, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Israeli Navy missile ships destroyed the Syrian military fleet as part of a large-scale operation designed to eliminate strategic threats to the country.
The following day, the IDF announced that the Israeli military had struck strategic weapons caches in Syria.
Situation regarding the withdrawal of the Russian contingent from Syria
According to British intelligence, Russia's main objective in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime is to maintain control over its military bases: the largest overseas naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase.
On December 15, the Ukrainian military intelligence reported that Russia continues to withdraw its forces from Syria. However, the Kremlin is facing difficulties in evacuating its contingent, with soldiers lacking even food and drinking water.
It was also reported that on December 13, around a thousand Russian soldiers moved in convoy from near Damascus to Tartus and Hmeimim. To support the ongoing evacuation operation, Russia plans to deploy at least 25 more military transport aircraft.
