Israel continues airstrikes across Syria, targeting military arsenals

Damascus: Israeli warplanes launched multiple airstrikes early Monday, targeting former military arsenals across Syria, according to a war monitor.

The latest raids hit missile bases in Battalion 107 near Zama and weapons warehouses in rural Tartus, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

Earlier on Sunday evening, an Israeli jet reportedly struck radar installations at the Deir Al-Zour Military Airport in eastern Syria.

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Israeli aircraft targeted former munitions depots dug into mountains in Rural Damascus, causing a series of powerful explosions.

There were no reports of casualties.

These attacks are part of an ongoing military campaign by Israel that began on December 8, targeting any remaining military capabilities linked to Syria’s former leadership, as the country’s new authorities are working to stabilize the country’s security situation.

Meanwhile, Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader, Ahmad al-Shara, held a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Damascus to discuss the political transition in the country, according to a statement released by local al-Watan Online news outlet.

Al-Shara, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said that UN Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015 concerning Syria’s political transition, now requires an update to reflect the current realities in the country, urging a “fresh approach” that aligns with Syria’s new leadership and evolving circumstances, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the meeting, al-Shara underlined the importance of “swift and effective” cooperation to address Syrian citizens’ needs, restore the country’s territorial unity, and pave the way for reconstruction and economic development.

He also stressed the need for “careful, deliberate steps” in rehabilitating state institutions to ensure the forming of a “strong and efficient” governance system.

The HTS leader pledged to create a safe environment for the return of refugees, adding that the measures are being implemented with “great caution” and supervised by specialised teams so as to ensure optimal outcomes for the nation’s future.

For his part, Pedersen said that the UN is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in the country and is looking forward to the next steps toward a political transition following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to reporters in Damascus earlier in the day, Pedersen emphasised the importance of Syrian state institutions fully resuming their functions under secure conditions.

“We are working with all segments of the Syrian people…and we want to see no acts of revenge. Instead, we must ensure that institutions return to work, backed by the necessary security measures,” he said.