Israel has attacked sites in Syria believed to be storing chemical weapons and long-range missiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said, as quoted by Associated Press and BTA.
„The only interest we have is the security of Israel and its citizens,”, Saar said. “That is why we attacked strategic weapons systems such as stockpiles of chemical weapons and long-range missiles to prevent the risk of them falling into the wrong hands,”, he added.
Syrian rebels reached the capital Damascus over the weekend and toppled the government of President Bashar al-Assad, ending nearly 14 years of civil war. The development has revived hopes for a more peaceful future, but also raised concerns about a potential security vacuum in the country, which remains divided between several armed groups, AP notes.
A journalist from AP in Damascus reported that airstrikes were carried out in the area of the Mezeh military airport, southwest of the capital. The airport is a regular target of Israeli attacks, but it has not yet been confirmed who was behind the latest attack. Saar declined to provide details on when and where the strikes were carried out.
In recent years, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, mainly targeting military sites linked to Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group, close allies of Assad. Israeli authorities, however, rarely comment on specific operations, the AP points out.
Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons in 2013 after being blamed for an attack near Damascus that killed hundreds. However, there is widespread suspicion that the country has retained some of its stockpile and has been accused of using chemical weapons in the years since.
Saar stressed that the presence of Israeli forces in Syria is a “limited and temporary measure” aimed at ensuring Israel's safety after the fall of the Assad regime.
Regarding the negotiations with “Hamas“ for the release of Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, the minister reported that they were proceeding by an indirect route, but did not provide specific information. “We may be more optimistic about a possible breakthrough, but so far no agreement has been reached,”, noted Saar.