Israel: "Chemical Weapons and Missile Attacks Inside Syria"

Israel announced that it conducted airstrikes on strategic weapons remaining in Syria after the Syrian rebel forces overthrew the regime.

Syrian government forces' anti-aircraft missile. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 9th (local time), according to AP News and others, Gideon Sa'ar, Israel's Foreign Minister, stated, "We attacked strategic weapon systems such as remaining chemical weapons, long-range missiles, and rockets to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists." However, he did not specify the exact timing or location of the airstrikes.

Regarding the deployment of troops into Syrian territory beyond the Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in the north of its country the previous day, he described it as a "limited and temporary measure."

Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz also reportedly instructed the military to continue destroying various missiles, rockets, and air defense systems remaining in Syria, according to the Times of Israel.

Additionally, Minister Gantz ordered the strengthening of control over buffer zones within Syria and securing security areas free of heavily armed weapons and terrorist infrastructure. He emphasized, "We must prevent the resumption of arms smuggling routes from Iran through Syria to Lebanon."

The previous day, Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera and others reported that the Syrian capital Damascus was bombed multiple times, with the Israeli military suspected of targeting ammunition depots. Major foreign media outlets cited sources saying that the target was a research complex used by Iran for missile development.