Israel strikes missile depots, air defences in Syria’s Tartous region
Al JazeeraWhile Israel continues blitz on sites in Syria, new administration in Damascus forges ahead with international outreach. War monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Monday that Israel targeted military sites in Syria’s coastal Tartous region, including air defence units and “surface-to-surface missile depots”, saying the attack featured “the heaviest strikes” in the area in more than a decade. Overnight, Israel also bombed sites in and around Damascus, particularly around the Qasioun mountain, hitting “radar systems” and “air defence systems”, according to Serdar. “Israel is pursuing a strategy of diminishing this country’s air defence capability and also its air forces,” said Serdar. A French diplomatic team is also due in Damascus on Tuesday to “retake possession of our real estate” and make “initial contact” with the new authorities, said acting Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.