DOHA, December 29. /TASS/. A purported Israeli strike was delivered on a munitions depot in Damascus Governorate, Al Jazeera reported.
According to the TV channel, a drone likely belonging to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) attacked a munitions depot near Adra about 25 kilometers away from the Syrian capital. At least 17 people have been killed in the attack. Several individuals sustained wounds, however, the news outlet did not indicate the exact number of casualties.
In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces, capturing several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad stepped down as Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.
On December 8, following the change of power in Syria, the Israeli military announced that it took positions in the buffer zone in the Golan Heights which has been separating the Israel-and Syria-controlled territories since 1974. Among others, it took control of the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, facing no resistance.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria was no longer in effect after Syrian troops had left the area following the change of government in Damascus. Israel continues to carry out airstrikes on military facilities in Syria. On December 10, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Syria’s Navy had in fact been destroyed. On December 12, the Israeli army said that massive strikes on Syria had wiped out over 90% of the country’s identified strategic surface-to-air missiles.