Israeli army tanks in the buffer zone of the occupied Syrian Golan near the Druze village of Majdal Shams, Dec. 13, 2024. (Credit: Jalaa Marey/AFP)
New Israeli airstrikes targeted military sites in Damascus and its suburbs early Saturday, nearly a week after the Syrian capital was taken by a coalition of rebels, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
Since the ousting and flight of former President Bashar al-Assad last Sunday, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on military sites in Syria, said the UK-based SOHR, which relies on an extensive network of sources inside Syria.
"Israeli strikes destroyed a scientific institute and other military positions in Barzeh, on the northeastern outskirts of Damascus, and targeted a military airport in the vicinity of the city," the SOHR reported.
The strikes also hit "ballistic missile warehouses," rocket launchers in the Qalamoun region on the outskirts of Damascus and "tunnels" beneath the mountains, the observatory added.
According to the SOHR, these attacks on "military sites of the former regime" aim to "destroy what remains of the military capabilities of the future Syrian army."
On Friday, the Israeli Air Force also targeted a "missile base on Mount Qasioun in Damascus," as well as an airport in the southern province of Sweida and "defense and research laboratories in Masyaf" in Hama province, the SOHR added.
Additionally, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant instructed the military to "prepare to stay" throughout the winter in the buffer zone bordering the Israeli-occupied part of the Syrian Golan Heights.
Israeli troops entered the buffer zone immediately after Assad’s fall. The UN condemned this move as a "violation" of the 1974 disengagement agreement between Syria and Israel.