Israeli strikes target the cities of Latakia and Homs
Israeli warplanes have carried out new airstrikes in Syria, targeting areas near the cities of Homs, Latakia and Palmyra, Syrian state-affiliated media reported.
The strikes, which hit the outskirts of Homs and extended to the coastal and central regions, were described by Syrian outlets as another violation of the country’s sovereignty.
The targeted areas included the outskirts of Homs in central Syria, the coastal city of Latakia and the desert city of Palmyra, said the report.
Loud explosions were heard in the cities, though no immediate details are available regarding casualties or the extent of the damage.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli fighter jets struck an air force battalion southeast of Homs, with initial reports suggesting casualties. It added that two more strikes hit a military barracks in Latakia, where ambulances were seen rushing to the site.
The Observatory also reported that Israeli warplanes entered southern Syrian airspace during the raids.
The Syrian foreign affairs authorities strongly condemned what they called a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter, saying the strikes constituted a direct threat to Syria’s sovereignty and regional stability and urging the UN Security Council to take action to halt repeated Israeli attacks.
Despite the new Syrian administration, in place since late December 2024, posing no direct threat to Israel, the Israeli military has repeatedly crossed into Syrian territory, carrying out airstrikes that killed civilians and destroyed military sites, vehicles, weapons and ammunition.
For the past seven months, the Israeli army has occupied Syria’s Mount Hermon in Israel’s farthest advance from its borders and maintains a 15-kilometer (9.32-mile) wide security strip in some southern areas, controlling more than 40,000 Syrians within the occupied buffer zone.
Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967 and expanded its control following the events leading to President Bashar Al-Assad’s ousting in late 2024.
