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December 12, 2024 | 08:09 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Israel said it would increase airstrikes on Syrian weapons depots after the fall of President Bashar Al Assad's regime on December 8, 2024. They mentioned strategic weapons throughout Syria, including surface-to-air missiles, air defense systems, cruise missiles, long-range rockets, and even conventional weapons such as chemical weapons.
All of the weapons were simply abandoned by the Al Assad regime. The weapons that can be looted by anyone from the rebel factions are what worries Israel, as well as the United States and its coalition forces in the Middle East.
"We are taking all necessary measures to try to ensure our security in light of the new situation in Syria," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as widely reported by international media on Tuesday, December 10, 2024.
An Israeli official said the attacks would continue in the coming days. Israel argued that it did not want to interfere in Syria's internal affairs, other than just wanting to protect the interests of its own citizens. Meanwhile, the Pentagon called it an attack in self-defense.
Throughout Sunday-Monday, as many as 350 attacks were carried out by fighter jets targeting various targets, anti-aircraft batteries, military air bases, weapons production sites, fighter jets, tanks, missiles, and chemical weapons sites. In addition, a fleet of Israeli warships attacked Syrian naval facilities in Al-Bayda Port and Latakia Port, where 15 Syrian warships were docked.
Photo caption: Israeli military vehicles near the ceasefire line between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, December 9, 2024. Israeli troops are now reported to continue to advance into Syria and occupy several areas near the Golan Heights. (REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
Reuters quoted Israeli Defense Minister Katz as saying that the wave of attacks had destroyed most of Syria's strategic weapons stockpile. The Pentagon announced that it had destroyed at least three trucks loaded with multiple rocket launchers, T-64 tanks, and mortars.
Syrian Army Weapons
Quoting from Peacewomen.org, most of the weapons used by the Syrian military came from the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. After the two countries broke up, Syria received arms supplies from Russia and Iran.
Dozens of Russian companies produced weapons that the Syrian military has now abandoned. Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern, for example, produced medium-range ground-based missile systems and S-200 long-range surface-to-air missiles.
Bazalt produced RPG-29 rocket-propelled grenades. Degtyarev made 9M119 Svir anti-tank missiles, 9M133 Kornet anti-tank missiles, KPV heavy machine guns, and Kord-12.7mm heavy machine guns. JSC Defense Systems produced S-125 Neva/Pechora surface-to-air missile systems, and S-300PMU air defense systems.
Iran’s Defense Industries Organization (DIO) has provided the Syrian army with M40 assault rifles. The same company that supplied the AM50 rifles. The rifles were originally imported by Iran from the Austrian company Steyr-Mannlicher in 2006. Iran then copied them and shipped them to Syria.
The DIO also produces and supplies ammunition for the weapons. Meanwhile, the Iranian Aerospace Industries Organization has provided the Russian military with Toophan anti-tank missiles, which are reverse-engineered versions of the American TOW BGM-71 missile.
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