Israel attacks Syria missile launchers, according to opponents of the regime

Question

Israel bombed early this morning a military base of the Syrian regime in the province of Latakia, as reported on Monday several Lebanese and Israeli media, citing recent opposition to the government of Bashar al-Assad. The Executive and Israeli military leaders have repeatedly warned that Syria will not allow transmission serve advanced weaponry, such as missiles, medium or long range, between Iran and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah declared one of his enemies in the area.

Israel neither confirms nor denies this kind of transactions, especially since it seeks to open a new front with a regime that is fighting its own civil war, which has claimed 130,000 lives. Israeli Channel 2 television reported, quoting opposition sources, the target was a missile launchers S -300. These Russian-made, they have a range of up to 300 kilometers, and would much of Israel under the scope of a possible attack by Hezbollah.

Several witnesses cited by Lebanese media at dawn explosions were heard in the neighborhood of Sheikh Dahar, near the port of Latakia. That province is a stronghold of the regime, considerably strengthened because therein lies mostly the Alawite community, which Assad family belongs. Both Iran and Hezbollah are the main allies of the Syrian rulers, and both have sent militants to fight against opposition groups that will fight for control of the country.

Last year Israel attacked military targets inside Syria on several occasions, according to Western diplomatic sources reported. The aim was to destroy weapons shipments normally received from Iran. In May even attacked in Damascus, the capital, on two occasions. The Syrian regime then openly accused Israel of having declared war, but took no retaliation.

These attacks also denote the high degree of knowledge that the Israeli intelligence what is happening inside Syria, a country which is at war for decades. The last battles were fought between the 1973 war. Since then mutual border in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel, was calm until several opposition militias kidnapped peacekeepers UN twice last year.