Israel pounds Syria 480 times, destroys 80 per cent of military assets after Assad's ouster

Days after the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Israel launched multiple airstrikes at Syrian military targets and deployed ground troops both inside and beyond the country's demilitarised buffer zone for the first time in 50 years.

On Tuesday (Dec 10), the Israeli military announced that they had launched nearly 480 strikes on Syria in the last two days, and attacked the country's strategic weapon stockpiles.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Israel Katz said that the Syrian fleet was destroyed by the Israeli navy in an operation which they called “a great success.”

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Out of the Israeli Air Force's 480 strikes, nearly 350 were manned aircraft strikes which targetted airfields, anti-aircraft batteries, missiles, drones, fighter jets, tanks and weapon production sites in Homs, Tartus, Damascus, Palmyra and Latakia, said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

The rest of the strikes were carried out to support ground operations in which weapons depots, military structures, launchers and firing positions were targetted.

The IDF further stated that two Syrian naval facilities were also struck by its ships. There were 15 vessels docked in the naval facilities.

Also Read:India evacuates 75 nationals from Syria as rebels topple Assad's regime

In the strikes, dozens of sea-to-sea missiles were destroyed. According to the military, 70-80 per cent of the strategic military capabilities of the previous regime had been destroyed.

Israeli PM Netanyahu says 'changing the face of the Middle East'

A day before the airstrikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime “a new and dramatic chapter.”

“The collapse of the Syrian regime is a direct result of the severe blows with which we have struck Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” Netanyahu said in a press conference on Monday (Dec 9).

Watch:UN: Bombardment Of Syria Must Stop

“The axis has not yet disappeared but as I promised – we are changing the face of the Middle East. We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” he stated in a video statement, “but we certainly do intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.”

“We want correct relations with the new regime in Syria. But if this regime allows Iran to reestablish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us, we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it. What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this regime,” the prime minister said.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)