Israel warplanes strike near Syria capital
DAMASCUS: Israeli raids early Sunday hit three military sites outside Damascus, the second such reported attack in 48 hours, prompting Syria’s government to warn that the regional situation was now ‘ more dangerous.’ The raids reportedly targeted weapons bound for Lebanese group Hezbollah and raised new concerns that the conflict could spill over.
The foreign ministry, in a letter to the UN Security Council, said claims it was transferring anything were “unfounded” and accused Israel of coordinating with “terrorist groups.”
“Around 01.40am, Israeli military aircraft over the occupied territories and south Lebanon launched an aerial aggression by firing missiles against three positions belonging to the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic,” the letter said.
Syria uses the term “occupied territories” to refer to Israel and the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights.
A diplomatic source in Beirut told AFP the three sites were the Jamraya military facility, a nearby weapons depot and an antiaircraft unit in Sabura, west of the capital.
“This aggression caused deaths and injuries and serious destruction at the sites and in the surrounding civilian regions,” the letter added.
The cabinet held an emergency
This leaves no doubt that Israel is the beneficiary, the engine and sometimes the executor of the terrorist attacks taking place in Syria against the state and the people. Martin Nesirky, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spokesman
meeting, warning afterwards that “the aggression opens the door wide to all possibilities.”
“The international community should know that the complex situation in the region has become more dangerous after this aggression.”
The foreign ministry letter said the strikes were evidence that Israel was working with ‘terrorist groups’ including the rebel jihadist Al-Nusra Front, which has pledged allegiance to al- Qaeda.
“The blatant Israeli aggression against military sites in Syria confirms the coordination between Israel and terrorist groups,” it said.
“This leaves no doubt that Israel is the beneficiary, the engine and sometimes the executor of the terrorist attacks taking place in Syria against the state and the people.” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed ‘grave concern’, his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
“The secretary general calls on all sides to exercise maximum calm and restraint, and to act with a sense of responsibility to prevent an escalation of what is already a devastating and highly dangerous conflict,” Nesirky said.
Egypt condemned the strikes as a “violation” of international law and the Cairo-based Arab League demanded UN Security Council intervention to stop such Israeli attacks.
Iran’s Defence Minister General Ahmad Vahidi said “the assault, which was carried out with the US green light, unveils the links between the terrorist mercenaries and their masters of the Zionist regime.”
Britainwarnedofthe“increasing danger to the peace of that entire region from the Syria crisis just getting worse and worse.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, delivered his harshest attack yet against President Bashar alAssad, calling him a “butcher” and warning he will “receive his judgment in this world” for the deaths of thousands of Syrians.
“If God permits, we will see this butcher, this murderer receive his judgment in this world ... and we will praise (God) for it,” Erdogan said after the Israeli strikes.
More than 70,000 people have been killed in Syria in just over two years.
Sunday’s strike came around 48 hours after a reported Israeli raid on a weapons storage facility at Damascus airport.
Residents of the upscale Damascus neighbourhood of Dumar said Sunday’s strike turned night into day.
“It was like an earthquake, the sky was yellow and red,” said 72- year- old Najwa.
Video footage on YouTube appeared to show missiles lighting up clouds, blazing fires, and an explosion producing a massive orange fireball. — AFP