This morning around Damascus:
* IED attack claimed by Abu Amara Brigade (rebels) against a secret police HQ bit.ly/2FBVi8T
* Israeli air strikes south of Damascus, apparently in al-Kisweh confirmed by regime outlet SANA. Quite unprecedented:Israel mostly strikes at night
* IED attack claimed by Abu Amara Brigade (rebels) against a secret police HQ bit.ly/2FBVi8T
* Israeli air strikes south of Damascus, apparently in al-Kisweh confirmed by regime outlet SANA. Quite unprecedented:Israel mostly strikes at night
Israeli strikes caused a Mahan Air flight to turn back, but now it is trying to return to Damascus again. Credit: @putintintin1 and @ArtWendeley
Iran routinely uses Mahan Air to deliver weapons to Syria bit.ly/2FBn6KF
Iran routinely uses Mahan Air to deliver weapons to Syria bit.ly/2FBn6KF
Israeli strikes apparently prevent Mahan Air fight from landing in Damascus and it is now over Iraq. Via @ArtWendeley and @obretix
Likely in response to Syrian Anti-Aircraft fire toward Israeli jet(s) striking around Damascus
Summary:
* Israel bombed targets near Damascus causing a Mahan Air flight to return to Iran. A rare day-time attack.
* Regime's air defenses fired at Israeli jet(s).
* AA missile entered air space of occupied Hermon.
* Israeli air defense launched 2 intercepting missiles
* Israel bombed targets near Damascus causing a Mahan Air flight to return to Iran. A rare day-time attack.
* Regime's air defenses fired at Israeli jet(s).
* AA missile entered air space of occupied Hermon.
* Israeli air defense launched 2 intercepting missiles
Context of Israeli strikes on Iranian targets/weapon shipments in Syria in my recent piece for @newrepublic bit.ly/2Fw4niJ
Israel's leadership recently became more willing to acknowledge strikes in Syria. Israel wants to send a message to Iran & Hezbollah, which rightly feel victorious in Syria & wider region, esp following US withdrawal announcement from Syria.
Israeli officials express satisfaction about preventing Syria from becoming a staging ground for Iran: Tehran apparently gave up on establishing permanent bases in Syria or sending even larger numbers of foreign Shia fighters there bit.ly/2FObqmT
However, Iran today is arguably in the best strategic & military position its been since 1979: Hezbollah is much better-armed today than in 2006 & its fighters are combat-tested. Weapon shipments will continue.
Iran in 2019 has greater influence in the Levant than in 2011.
Iran in 2019 has greater influence in the Levant than in 2011.
Surreal footage from today's incident. Israeli anti-missile systems launch interceptors toward a Syrian anti-aircraft missile over skiers in the Hermon Mount resort.
Video by Elad Ben Moshe
Video by Elad Ben Moshe
According to the IDF, the Syrians fired a surface-to-surface missile following the (failed) attempts to shoot down Israeli jets. The Iron Dome system intercepted this missile, not the anti-aircraft missiles fired by the BUK system. (h/t @AAhronheim)
