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Israel bombs Syrian missile base

[ssba]

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has destroyed a Syrian missile battery after it fired on Israeli aircraft conducting a reconnaissance mission over Lebanon.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said that the IAF targeted a Syrian SA-5 anti-aircraft battery 30 miles east of Damascus following “a clear provocation by the Syrian regime”.

The IAF aircraft fired four missiles at the Syrian position. The IDF had notified the Russian forces deployed in Syria of the operation in advance, as part of Israeli-Russian regional security coordination arrangements.

Following the incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Syria that Israel would continue to carry out airstrikes as needed.

He said: “Our policy is clear: Anyone who tries to hurt us, we will hurt them. The air force acted with precision, swiftness and destroyed what needed to be destroyed.  We will continue to act in the arena as much as needed to defend Israel’s security.”

YNet security analyst Ron Ben-Yishai said: “Syria’s improved SA-5 anti-aircraft missiles can threaten both Israeli military jets and passenger planes flying in Israel’s airspace. With Assad using the missiles against Israel for the second time this year, the IDF felt it needed to send a message of deterrence.”

Israeli former head of Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin agreed, saying that the IAF strike “demonstrates that Israel will not shy away from its need to collect intelligence on the build-up of Hezbollah with the support of Iran and the Assad regime.”

The Syrian army warned of “dangerous consequences” after the incident but has not yet taken any military action in response.