Israel strikes Syrian military targets after Netanyahu's demilitarisation call

The Israeli army conducted air strikes on military sites in southern Syria on Tuesday, targeting weapon depots and command centers. At least two people were killed at a Damascus-area military unit, though their civilian or military status remains unverified, according to a war monitor.

Israel strikes Syrian military targets

The invading Israeli army said it carried out airstrikes targeting military sites containing weapons in southern Syria on Tuesday, just days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for demilitarising the area.

Political commentators in Brussels have suggested this move allows the Israeli army to move into Syrian territory without opposition.

Two people were killed by a strike

At least two people were killed by a strike on one of the sites, the headquarters of a military unit southwest of Damascus, a war monitor said.

It was unable to confirm if the victims were civilian or military, but the Syrian government has reported the deaths as civilians.

“Over the past few hours, the IDF (Israeli military) struck military targets in southern Syria including command centres and multiple sites containing weapons,” the army said in a statement, without specifying the exact locations of the strikes.

“The presence of military forces and assets in the southern part of Syria pose a threat to the citizens of Israel. The IDF will continue to operate in order to remove any threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two military sites south of the Syrian capital were targeted, as AFP correspondents reported hearing loud explosions and warplanes flying over the city.