At least 15 military aircraft have been targeted in a spate of airstrikes at a Syrian air base, according to CNN analysis of satellite imagery obtained from Planet Labs. The strikes also appear to have targeted base infrastructure.
In recent days, the Israeli military has engaged in a concerted effort to destroy Syrian military assets, striking air bases, ports, and weapons stockpiles across the country, with the intention of preventing them falling into an adversary’s hands.
The Marj Ruhayyil Airbase, located 18 miles (30 km) south of Damascus, appears to have housed a unit of Mi-25 “Hind” helicopters,” seen in satellite imagery collected by Planet Labs on December 3 and Maxar imagery from earlier this year.
Tanks seized: Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it confiscated several Syrian tanks along the buffer zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria.
Israeli troops also said they located a Syrian observation post in the Mount Hermon region within the buffer zone and seized a cache of weapons including missiles, explosives and other equipment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military seize the buffer zone and other positions near it. Israel insists it is conducting “defensive missions” and eliminating threats to its citizens in the area.
