Israel is suspected of launching a barrage of missiles into Syria overnight, targeting a site close to the Russian-controlled Khmeimim air base, which allegedly stores Iranian weapons.
The assault involved up to 30 missiles striking the Latakia area, sparking massive explosions and bright orange flashes in the night sky as air defenses scrambled to intercept the incoming projectiles.
The intense bombardment ignited a massive fire visible from miles away, near Khmeimim, with secondary blasts suggesting that military equipment or munitions were hit.
This bold move may indicate Israel is intensifying its campaign against Iranian-backed assets in Syria, despite the risk of antagonizing Russia, following its successful destruction of Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Russian and Syrian air defenses engaged the missiles for at least 40 minutes in Latakia.
Reports also suggest that an Iranian cargo plane had landed at Latakia Airport earlier, potentially transporting weapons, which could have prompted the Israeli strike.
