Questions abound over Latakia Blast

by Eli Leon, Shlomo Cesana and Israel Hayom Staff

Syrian opposition groups claim Israeli Air Force planes bombed S-300 missile launchers in the Syrian port city on Sunday night, but other reports say the blast heard was from artillery fire with no connection to Israel.

Syrian opposition groups claim Israeli Air Force struck S-300 missile launchers in Latakia on Sunday night | Photo credit: Reuters

Did Israel conduct a military strike in Syria on Sunday night? On Monday, Syrian opposition groups and the Lebanese military claimed that it did. 

According to the Syrian opposition reports, Israeli Air Force planes bombed S-300 missile launchers in the Syrian port city of Latakia on Sunday night. The S-300 is an advanced Russian anti-aircraft system. Despite the claims, Russia has apparently not yet supplied Syria with the S-300.

The Lebanese military said that Israeli aircraft entered Lebanese airspace in the northern part of the country at 10:45 p.m. and exited at 11:55 p.m. over the Naqoura area of southern Lebanon.

Other reports said that the blast heard in Latakia was related to artillery fire that had no connection to Israel.

According to foreign reports, the Israeli military conducted a number of strikes in 2013 that targeted weapons shipments from Syria to Lebanon. The shipments reportedly included advanced M-600 rockets, SA-17 surface-to-air missile systems and Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles.

Israel has issued repeated warnings that it will not permit the transfer of advanced weaponry from Syria to Lebanon. The Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah is a close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that, given the ongoing unrest in the region, the Israel Defense Forces must remain strong.

"In recent years the IDF has guarded Israelis' security very well, and this in the face of a regional upheaval the likes of which has not been seen since the foundation of the state," Netanyahu said. 

"2013 was the quietest year for Israelis' security in over a decade. Our existence and our future here depend on a strong military and a strong military is built on strong people that have strong means. We will continue to see to it that the people who make up the strongest military in the region will continue to receive the conditions that ensure the continuation of our superiority."

Netanyahu made the remarks at a meeting with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and other top IDF officers. The meeting focused on the IDF's long-term plans.

Eli Leon, Shlomo Cesana and Israel Hayom Staff

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=15053

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.