Airstrikes carried out near Damascus November 18

Event

Airstrikes were carried out near Damascus during the morning of Wednesday, November 18, amid claims by Syrian media that air defense systems had intercepted a suspected Israeli air attack. Early reports suggest that three soldiers have been killed and one other wounded in the strikes. The incident coincides with a statement issued by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) which announced that Israeli aircraft had targeted warehouses, command posts, and surface-to-air missile batteries operated by the Syrian military and the Iranian Quds Force. The IDF stated that the operation was in response to the uncovering of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) placed on the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights allegedly placed by Iranian and Syrian forces.

Further airstrikes are possible in the near term, particularly in the vicinity of military targets.

Context

The Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes into Syrian territory since the start of the civil war in 2011, many of which have targeted arms depots and military facilities allegedly receiving arms and fighters from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah group. Having perceived an increasing Iranian presence in Syria, Israeli attacks have increased in their frequency over the past few months, with a series of airstrikes reported on almost a weekly basis in June.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.