BICOM

Several media outlets report that Israel’s Air Force carried out a strike on a Syrian missile base near the port city of Latakia in attempt to prevent advanced weapons being transferred to Hezbollah in neighbouring Lebanon.

There has been no official comment from the Israeli government. AP says an attack took place near Latakia targeting Russian-made SA-125 missiles. Reuters cites a Syrian opposition source saying that Israel struck a missile battery near a village called Ain Shikak where the Assad regime stores long-range Russian made missiles. Meanwhile, Al-Arabiya claims two targets were hit by Israel, one near Latakia and the other near Damascus, but that in both cases, a shipment of Russian SA-8 missiles heading for Hezbollah was destroyed.

Significantly, CNN quoted an unnamed United States official who said that Israel had attacked an airbase near Latakia, targeting “missiles and related equipment” which the Israeli government believed could be destined for Hezbollah. This morning’s Yediot Ahronot claims that Israeli officials are dismayed at the apparent American confirmation of the air strike.

Israel has repeatedly warned that any attempt to transfer sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah, would be met with a response. Hezbollah unleashed an arsenal of rockets against northern Israeli communities during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Although Israel has never confirmed taking military action against weapons transfers to Hezbollah, many of the media reports claim that Israel has done so on several occasions during the past year to prevent such a scenario. In January, a convoy of trucks carrying sophisticated Russian-made anti-aircraft weaponry and equipment was widely reported to have been destroyed by Israel. Israel remained similarly silent over a 2007 airstrike which is thought to have destroyed a nascent Syrian nuclear facility.