As the shockwaves from the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime continue to be felt in Syria, Israel has been striking military bases in the country.
Israeli planes have bombed at least three major Syrian army airbases that housed dozens of helicopters and jets, according to Syrian security sources.
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It’s still a confusing picture, so what is Israel doing – and why?
What is happening?
Israel has been pounding Syrian army airbases over the past three days, apparently in an effort to ensure weapons including warplanes and chemical weapons do not fall into rebel hands.
Sources within the now fallen Syrian army told the Reuters news agency that Tuesday morning’s strikes were the heaviest so far and had struck military installations and airbases across the country.
The strikes destroyed dozens of helicopters and jets, the sources said, as well as assets belonging to the Republican Guard in and around the capital, Damascus.
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Airbases targeted in the strikes include Qamishli airbase in northeast Syria, Shinshar base in the countryside of Homs and Aqrba airport southwest of Damascus, the Reuters sources said.
Around 200 raids overnight left nothing of the army’s assets, the sources claimed.
Later on Tuesday, Israel announced that it also destroyed the Syrian naval fleet overnight.
Along with the strikes, there were reports Israeli tanks were less than two dozen miles from Damascus after a border incursion – although an Israeli military spokesperson denied the claims.
Envoy calls for UN to help Syrians
The UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, said there is “real opportunity for change” that Syrians need to grasp with support from the international community.
Referring to Israel’s strikes on targets in Syria, he said it was “extremely important that we now don’t see any action from any international country that destroys the possibility for this transformation in Syria to take place”.
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Israel has reportedly seized a buffer zone inside the Syria. Pic: AP
What does Israel say?
Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have condemned the reported Israeli incursion, amid claims that IDF forces had taken up positions beyond the buffer zone in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Saudi Arabia said the move would “ruin Syria’s chances of restoring security”.
An IDF official said claims that Israeli tanks had advanced towards Damascus were “false”.
“IDF troops are stationed within the buffer zone, as stated in the past,” they added.
Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria’s
conflict. It said it had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect its security.