Israeli Airstrike Kills 11 In Damascus Amid Tensions In Syria And Regional Clashes

Airstrike Strikes Weapons Depot Near Damascus

An Israeli airstrike on Sunday attacked a weapons depot near Adra, a town northeast of Damascus, killing 11 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Most of the dead were civilians, according to the report. Al-Mayadeen TV said six had been killed. The Israeli military had no comment. The airstrike is part of the continued efforts by Israel against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons depots, even after the ousting of President Bashar Assad.

 

Israeli Strikes Continue Despite Civil War Shifts

Israel has carried out thousands of airstrikes in Syria since the Syrian civil war erupted in 2011, targeting Iranian-backed groups and Syrian armament supplies. The attacks are meant to neutralize threats from military assets and Iran-backed groups that assisted Assad’s regime. Since Syrian insurgents expelled Assad in December, asking Israel to halt its airstrikes, Israel remained adamant about its operations.

Turkish-backed Rebels Clash with Kurdish Forces Turkish-backed rebels opened fire near the Kurdish-held town of Kobani in northern Syria. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) returned fire with a rocket, which reportedly destroyed a radar system near the city of Manbij. The SDF, a crucial ally of the United States in Syria, continues to target the Islamic State’s sleeper cells in the area.

 

Mass Grave Discovered in Homs

Syrian state media said mass graves have been found near the city of Homs, with hundreds of thousands of Syrians thought to be buried in those graves as part of Assad’s regime’s brutal crackdowns.

Civil defense teams are investigating the site in Al-Kabo, one of several suspected mass grave locations in the country.

 

Egyptian Activist Detained in Lebanon

Abdulrahman al-Qardawi, a wanted Egyptian activist on charges of incitement to violence by Cairo, was detained by Lebanese authorities after crossing from Syria. Al-Qardawi, an outspoken critic of Egypt’s government, had visited Syria to celebrate Assad’s downfall.

 

Kidnapping of Syrians in Lebanon

Lebanese security forces have arrested an armed group in Tripoli responsible for kidnapping 26 Syrians smuggled into Lebanon. The group, including women and children, is being returned to Syria.