SYRIA – Golan Heights: air offensive led by the IDF against targets of the Syrian army and pro-Iran militias – At least 3 Syrian soldiers killed – Ongoing violence to anticipate

The Israeli army (IDF) announced 18 November that they had led airstrikes against Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria. The IDF said they acted in retaliation after having found improvised explosive devices placed along the Alpha line (de facto border at the north of Israel) targeting Israeli soldiers.

Tsahal indicated it had targeted targets of the Iranian force Qods and the Syrian army forces in Syria, hitting ‘storage facilities, military compounds and surface-to-air missile batteries of Syria’.

The strikes were led at dawn on 18 November and made 3 Syrian soldiers killed as well as material damages, according to the official Syrian press agency (Sana). Sana indicated that ‘an air aggression’ happened and was led by ‘the Zionist enemy in the South region’. The same source reported that anti-air defence batteries of Syria were activated to counter the Israeli raids and allowed to shoot down some missiles.

We remind you that the Hebrew State has intensified this year its military offensive, especially air ones, in Syria as part of a shadow war to restrain the military activities of Iran.

In this context, new Israeli raids are likely to happen in the next few days in Syria. Escalation of violence is likely but with no concrete risk of creating a conflict.