Israel strikes Syria's largest airbases

The Israeli Air Force struck the largest airbases in Syria, hitting dozens of fighter jets and helicopters. This was reported by Al Arabiya TV channel on December 9, citing two interlocutors in the security services.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also destroyed infrastructure and dozens of helicopters and fighter jets, they said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Monitoring Center reported that more than 100 Israeli strikes targeted various military facilities in several areas of Syria, the latest of which was the Research and Development Center in the Barza neighborhood of Damascus.

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Earlier in the day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched strikes against Syrian Arab Republic (SAR) army facilities in Syria's Latakia province. Israeli forces attacked targets near the settlements of Sejwin-Sakubein and al-Musheirifa in the province and the port of Latakia.

On the same day, Al Mayadeen TV reported that the IDF attacked more than 150 Syrian army targets on December 8 and 9. The strikes targeted Syrian army tanks, airplanes and military helicopters.

At the same time, Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh said that Damascus plans to notify the UN Security Council (UNSC) that the IDF strikes and the actions of its military in the Golan Heights are a violation of the republic's sovereignty by Israel.

On the same day, media reported that the Israeli army's military entered the neighboring state's controlled territory for the first time since 1973 as part of an operation in the buffer zone on the border with Syria. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that this is a temporary measure, which is motivated by the defense of Israel.

On the eve, December 8, the national coalition of revolutionary and opposition forces in Syria said it had begun work on the formation of a transitional authority. The Prime Minister of the SAR Mohammed Ghazi al-Jalali, in turn, said that he is ready to cooperate with any leadership of the country that will be elected, and most of the Syrian ministers remain in Damascus.

Against this backdrop, the IDF announced the deployment of forces along the Syrian border to guarantee the safety of Israeli citizens and communities in the Golan Heights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the demarcation agreement with Syria has been terminated due to the Syrian withdrawal. The Israeli military later took control of Mount Hermon.

The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by armed formations in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.