Israel conducted an airstrike followed by a landing operation in the Safira district, located in the south-east of Syria’s Aleppo province.
The operation began with intense airstrikes targeting the Safira region, which houses Syrian defense industry facilities and a military research center. Simultaneously, Israel expanded its military activities in the south, coinciding with the collapse of the Assad regime. According to an AA news report citing local sources, Israel specifically targeted an air defense base and Warehouse 404. Preliminary reports indicate that approximately ten airstrikes resulted in casualties, with both deaths and injuries reported in the area.
In the hours following the airstrikes, Israeli forces conducted a landing operation using aircraft. This led to clashes between Israeli soldiers and armed groups in the region.
These attacks are part of a broader escalation by the Israeli military, which intensified following the collapse of Syria’s 61-year Baathist rule on 8 December. The escalation began with clashes on 27 November. Since then, the Israeli army has focused on dismantling military infrastructure and facilities abandoned by the Syrian army, while also expanding its occupation of the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory.
The Israeli military has advanced beyond the buffer zone surrounding the Golan Heights, moving as close as 25 kilometers to the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Israel has occupied Syria’s Golan Heights since 1967. The 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria established the borders of a buffer zone and a demilitarized area, but recent actions suggest a significant shift in the status quo.
