Israeli warplanes have stepped up their air campaign in Syria, hitting and destroying hundreds of military sites, including fighter jet squadrons, radar and missile systems, missile depots and Syria’s small navy.
Israel Defense Forces reported on Tuesday that in the past 48 hours, they had carried out more than 350 strikes, preventing most of Syria’s strategic weapons stockpile from falling into the hands of extremists.
The airstrikes come as Israeli forces are consolidating their control over a demilitarized zone east of the Syrian-occupied Golan Heights and advancing into a mountainous region to the north.
Images off the port city of Latakia shared on social media and broadcast by local TV stations showed the remains of at least six warships, either burnt out or seriously damaged.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said during a visit to a naval base in Haifa, “The IDF has recently been working to attack Israel and eliminate strategic threats in Syria. “The navy successfully destroyed the Syrian fleet.”
