Syria: ‘Israeli attack’ in Lattakia, containers on fire

Containers are on fire in the port of Lattakia, in western Syria, where “Israeli bombs” were recorded in the early morning hours, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

According to a military source quoted by the agency, the attack took place “around 03:21”.

Earlier, Syrian state television reported that Syrian air defenses had been deployed to counter the “attack by the Israeli enemy.”

“Firefighters are trying to put out the flames and ambulances have arrived on the scene,” state television said, broadcasting footage of the fire.

The attack also caused damage to hospital facades, homes and shops. The result was “major property damage”, the valuation of which “is still ongoing”, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

It is not clear if or how many victims there are so far.

Lattakia is Syria’s main commercial port in the Mediterranean. The Israeli offensive there is the second this month against this crucial political infrastructure. The first was recorded on December 7 (25027981).

Russia, a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has a strategic air base just 20 kilometers from the port of Hamaim.

Since the outbreak of war in Syria in 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes, almost entirely from the air, against positions of Syrian government forces and their allies, Iranian and pro-Iranian militias, particularly the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.

The Israeli military rarely acknowledges publicly conducting operations in Syria, but confirmed this year that it had hit at least 50 targets in the war-torn country last year. The Israeli authorities often say that they will not allow Iran, a sworn enemy of the Jewish state, to build a bridgehead on Syrian territory.

SOURCE: AMPE