More than 300 Israeli strikes on Syria since fall of Assad, reports say

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Getty Images At night, buildings are back-lit from a agleam  reddish  light, which billows fume  into the airGetty Images

Smoke billows from a onslaught adjacent Damascus connected Monday night

Israeli warplanes person reportedly carried retired hundreds of airstrikes crossed Syria, including connected the capital, Damascus.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says it has documented much than 310 strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the autumn of the Assad authorities connected Sunday.

Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed it has troops operating successful Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized buffer portion betwixt Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

It added that its strikes were to forestall weapons falling "into the hands of extremists" arsenic Syria transitions to a post-Assad era.

The SOHR reported that the attacks spanned Aleppo, Damascus and Hama, with much than 60 taking spot overnight betwixt Monday and Tuesday alone.

They targeted subject facilities of the Syrian Army, including limb warehouses, ammunition depots, airports, naval bases and probe centres.

Reports accidental that galore of the facilities deed person not simply been damaged, but wholly destroyed.

The BBC has verified videos of immoderate of the strikes, including 1 hitting a Syrian naval larboard successful Latakia.

Rami Abdul Rahman, the laminitis of the SOHR, described the interaction of the strikes arsenic destroying "all the capabilities of the Syrian army" and said that "Syrian lands are being violated".

A representation  showing the locations of Israeli strikes connected  Syria since 8 December, including Tartous, Masyaf, Qusayr Corssing, Al Mayadin, Mount Qasioun, Damascus and Khalkhala airport

The IDF acknowledged that its troops had entered Syrian territory but told the BBC that reports of tanks approaching Damascus were "false".

It said immoderate troops had been stationed wrong the Area of Separation that borders the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights "and past a fewer further points".

"When we accidental a fewer further points, we're talking the country of the Area of Separation, oregon the country of the buffer portion successful vicinity," IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told the BBC.

On Monday, the Israeli subject released photos of its troops who crossed from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights into the demilitarised buffer zone successful Syria wherever UN peacekeepers are based.

The IDF seizure of Syrian positions successful the buffer portion was a "temporary antiaircraft presumption until a suitable statement is found", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said connected Monday.

"If we tin found neighbourly relations and peaceful relations with the caller forces emerging successful Syria, that's our desire. But if we bash not, we volition bash immoderate it takes to support the State of Israel and the borderline of Israel," helium said connected Monday.

Turkeys overseas ministry condemned Israel's introduction into the buffer zone, accusing it of an "occupying mentality" during a "sensitive period, erstwhile the anticipation of achieving the bid and stableness the Syrian radical person desired for galore years has emerged".

This buffer zone, besides known arsenic the Area of Separation was acceptable up arsenic portion of Israel's ceasefire statement with Syria successful 1974 to support Israeli and Syrian forces separated, pursuing Israel's earlier concern of the Golan Heights.

Israel unilaterally annexed the Golan successful 1981. The determination was not recognised internationally, though the US did truthful unilaterally successful 2019.

A representation  shows the determination  of the Golan Heights, betwixt  Israel and Syria. A lighter shaded country  on  the right-hand borderline  of it shows the country  of separation

Asked astir the IDF strikes connected Monday night, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was acrophobic lone with defending its citizens.

"That's wherefore we onslaught strategical weapons systems like, for example, remaining chemic weapons oregon long-range missiles and rockets successful bid that they volition not autumn into the hands of extremists," helium said.

On Monday, the UN's chemic watchdog warns authorities successful Syria to guarantee that suspected stockpiles of chemic weapons are safe.

It is not known wherever oregon however galore chemic weapons Syria has, but it's believed erstwhile President Bashar al-Assad kept stockpiles.

Israel's attacks travel aft Syrian rebel fighters captured the capital, Damascus, and toppled Bashar al-Assad's authorities implicit the weekend. He and his begetter had been successful powerfulness successful the state since 1971.

Forces led by the Islamist absorption radical Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus successful the aboriginal hours of Sunday, earlier appearing connected authorities tv to state that Syria was present "free".

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