‘One of the largest ever’ – IDF systematically destroys Syria’s military assets in massive operation involving IAF & Navy

Just over 48 hours after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fled the country, Israel Defense Forces has nearly completely destroyed the military assets and infrastructure of the Syrian Armed Forces in a massive operation. The campaign, conducted by the Air Force and the Navy, included hundreds of near-continuous strikes across Syria.

Army Radio reported that more than 250 strikes had been carried out so far, while Syrian reports said the number had risen to over 300. Reports of strikes have emerged from various parts of the country, including the coastal regions and areas in the far north, hundreds of kilometers from Israel.

A security official told Army Radio that this is “one of the largest attack operations in the history of the Air Force.”

מתוצאות העבודה העברית בסוריה בימים האחרונים pic.twitter.com/7T5UBHDL4B

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) December 10, 2024

While Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed on Monday that strategic weapons were struck, mentioning “chemical weapons, long-range missiles and rockets,” reports since then have indicated that Israel destroyed the Syrian military's infrastructureuture completely and systematically.

“Israel has been conducting an airstrike operation unprecedented in recent decades, aiming to destroy a country’s army, in the last two days,” Army Radio’s military correspondent Doron Kadosh wrote.

עוד תיעוד של תוצאות העבודה העברית https://t.co/YGmTuPnJlK pic.twitter.com/e66PPof069

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) December 10, 2024

“In more than 250 airstrikes, the air force destroyed Assad’s army: tanks, planes, helicopters, ships, air defense systems, missiles, military factories, intelligence facilities, and everything that the army of the Syrian state has held and built for decades – is literally being destroyed these days.”

“Israel made a strategic decision to destroy all advanced and strategic military capabilities remaining in Syria after the fall of the regime, and if this operation is completed successfully – the new rebel government will have to start from the beginning, with M-16s and Kalashnikovs, to build their military capabilities as a new state,” he added.

דוגמית מתקיפה בעיר החוף לטקיה הערב https://t.co/Uozi4qyRsK pic.twitter.com/e1nHoXr2UY

— roi kais • روعي كايس • רועי קייס (@kaisos1987) December 9, 2024

After the operation was initiated by the Air Force, Kadosh reported on Tuesday that Israeli Navy missile ships had joined the campaign, sinking “many vessels of the Syrian Navy, carrying dozens of sea-to-sea missiles, in the area of ​​Minaa al-Beida and in the port of Latakia.”

Following the fall of the Assad regime on Sunday, Israeli officials explained that the IDF would destroy strategic weapon systems to prevent them from falling into the hands of Islamist rebels, like Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), whose leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani has been leading efforts to create a transition government in recent days.

pay attention to what a group of Syrian rebels said yesterday at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus: "We entered the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus chanting Allah Akbar and with the help of Allah we will also enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque and we will also enter the Prophet Muhammad's Mosque… https://t.co/5z5QTFbwpe

— Matthew Levitt (@Levitt_Matt) December 10, 2024

Although al-Jolani has not yet commented on his plans regarding relations with Israel, footage reportedly taken at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus on Sunday shows Islamist fighters declaring their intention to reach Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa Mosque next.

On Saturday, the HTS-led umbrella group of opposition forces stated that it doesn’t intend to use the chemical weapons stores falling into its hands, vowing to work with international partners to monitor the outlawed weapons.

“They want to have it as a deterrent and that’s why they’re talking about monitoring versus having them destroyed,” Aaron Zelin, an expert on Islamist groups at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told The Wall Street Journal.

According to WSJ, Israel estimated in recent years that Syria held about 1,300 tons of chemicals, including nerve agents sarin and VX, and mustard gas.

“We have a responsibility to make sure strategic weapon systems don't fall into the wrong hands,” an Israeli official explained to Axios. The Israeli strikes, at least those targeting strategic weapons, appear to be closely coordinated with the United States.

A U.S. official also told reporters that the Biden administration was cooperating with countries in the region to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of radical groups.

“We are taking very prudent measures about this ... We are doing everything we can to ensure that those materials are not available to anyone and are cared for,” the official said, adding that the U.S. had “good fidelity” on their status and believes they are still under government control and have not yet fallen to rebel forces.

“We want to make sure that chlorine or things that are far worse are destroyed or secured. There are several efforts in this regard with partners in the region,” U.S. officials stated.