The Israeli army claimed on Saturday that its forces had stormed a military base belonging to forces of the former Assad regime last week in southern Syria, destroying and seizing tanks, armoured vehicles, and missiles.
The Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee made the claim in a post on X, which included photos and video documenting the attack.
The public announcement marks a rare departure from the Israel’s usual policy of ‘ambiguity’, where it does not claim responsibility for attacks on Syria.
Since December 2024, when Syrian rebels overthrew the regime of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, Israel has exploited Syria’s current military weakness to launch regular airstrikes on Syrian cities and military bases and ground incursions into a buffer zone near the Golan Heights.
Dozens of people in Syria have been killed as a result, and Israel’s attacks have been condemned by Turkey, Arab countries, and other international actors.
In his post, Adraee claimed: “The paratrooper forces, under the command of the 210th Division, continue their operations inside Syrian territory with the aim of eliminating threats directed at Israel, particularly the residents of the Golan Heights.”
He added, “This week, the forces raided a site belonging to the former Syrian army,” without specifying the exact day of the operation.
The Israeli spokesperson also claimed that the forces found a command centre belonging to the ousted Assad regime’s army, proceeding to destroy decommissioned tanks, armoured vehicles and artillery there, while confiscating mortar shells and rockets.
On Wednesday and Thursday last week Israel launched a series of airstrikes on military sites in Damascus and Hama and Homs provinces, while killing 11 people in a ground incursion in the southwestern province of Daraa.
