DAMASCUS/JERUSALEM — Three explosions were heard in Syria’s capital Damascus on Sunday, in what are believed to be Israeli airstrikes targeting abandoned military bases, according to local media reports.
The explosions, rocking the Mazzeh neighborhood of the city, are part of a series of strikes that took place across southern Syria.
Voice of the Capital, a local monitoring group, reported simultaneous strikes targeting areas in the countryside of the southern Daraa and Sweida provinces, with the extent of the damage and potential casualties remaining unclear.
Israel’s state-owned Kan TV News reported on Sunday that Israeli warplanes struck weapons storage facilities in southern Syria and near Damascus airport, citing concerns that the rebels or local militias could seize the arms.
“Israel is acting to thwart threats against it and anything that could harm our air superiority,” an Israeli security official was quoted as saying.
Mazzeh is home to air defense batteries and a military airport, a critical facility for the Syrian military near the capital. The air base was targeted in previous Israeli strikes aimed at Iranian-linked facilities or weapons transfers.
These incidents come as Syrian opposition fighters seized Damascus earlier on Sunday, declaring the end of President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
XINHUA