The Sun (Malaysia)

‘Israel strikes arms depot near Syrian airport’

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BEIRUT: Syrian rebel and intelligen­ce sources said Israel struck an arms supply hub yesterday operated by the Lebanese Hezbollah group near Damascus airport where weapons from Tehran are regularly sent by commercial and military cargo planes.

Syrian President Bashar alAssad is backed in the country’s six-year civil war by Russia, Iran and regional Shiite militias including Hezbollah, which is a close ally of Tehran and a sworn enemy of Israel.

Video carried on Lebanese TV and shared on social media showed the pre-dawn air strikes caused a fire around the airport, suggesting fuel sources or weapons containing explosives were hit.

Syrian state media said Israeli missiles hit a military position southwest of the airport, but did not mention arms or fuel.

It said “Israeli aggression” had caused explosions and some material losses, but did not expand on the damage.

Israeli intelligen­ce minister Israel Katz, speaking from the United States to Israeli Army Radio: “I can confirm that the incident in Syria correspond­s completely with Israel’s policy to act to prevent Iran’s smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah in Iran.

“Naturally, I don’t want to elaborate on this. The prime minister has said that whenever we receive intelligen­ce that indicated an intention to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, we will act.”

Two senior rebel sources operating in the Damascus area cited their monitors in the eastern outskirts of the Syrian capital, where the airport is located, as saying five strikes had hit an ammunition depot used by Iranbacked militias.

Israeli officials have previously said they view any movement of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah units in Syria as a “red line” that would prompt it to carry out air strikes or artillery fire in the past.

A senior regional intelligen­ce source said the targeted depot handles a significan­t volume of weapons sent by air from Iran. – Reuters

 ?? AFPPIX ?? This undated picture released by KCNA news agency on Wednesday shows the North Korean People’s Army performing a combined fire demonstrat­ion during its 85th founding anniversar­y celebratio­ns.
AFPPIX This undated picture released by KCNA news agency on Wednesday shows the North Korean People’s Army performing a combined fire demonstrat­ion during its 85th founding anniversar­y celebratio­ns.
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