Israeli media leaked information indicating that two missile attacks carried out on Wednesday in the countryside of Tartus and Hama in Syria were part of a single operation to strike targets of Iran and Hezbollah militias south of Hama.
In the 28th attack since the beginning of 2023, the Scientific Research Center south of the city of Hama was subjected to Israeli bombing, a few hours after a similar missile attack on the vicinity of the city of Tartus, on the Syrian coast.
According to the information, a Syrian air defense battery was first struck and a radar was disabled in Tartus with the aim of opening a safe passage for the Israeli missiles that were launched hours later and hit targets at the Scientific Research Center in Jabal Baqsis in the Tal Artal area, south of the city of Hama.
Conflicting reports pointed to an Israeli attack on the Shayrat airbase in the central region.
Local sources in Hama told Asharq Al-Awsat that raids targeted a military base used by Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah, and which is located between the villages of Deir Al-Hajar and Al-Jamasa in the Tartus countryside, in addition to locations near the 47th Brigade south of the city of Hama.
Israel has previously targeted sites in Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea, where the Russian naval military base is located. The area is known to be under the control of Iranian military forces and Hezbollah.
