Early Thursday, Israeli air strikes hit the central Syrian provinces of Homs and Hama, reports from Syrian state media read. The attack followed another Israeli strike the previous day in southern Syria.
At around 1:00 a.m. local time, Israeli forces launched an air assault on a car assembly factory in the industrial area of Hassia, located in Homs province, as well as a military position in Hama. The industrial area of Hassia is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Hama. The reported damage was primarily material, with no immediate casualties.
In addition to the factory, vehicles carrying medical and relief supplies were targeted in Hassia, leading to a large fire, according to the report. Firefighters worked to control the blaze.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported that an Iranian-linked car factory in Hassia was specifically targeted. In Hama province, the strikes were directed at areas housing air defense systems and government troops.
Since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous air strikes, primarily aimed at Syrian military sites and Iran-backed fighters, including Lebanon's Hezbollah. While Israeli officials rarely comment on specific strikes, they have made it clear that they will not tolerate Iran's presence expanding in Syria.
This latest attack follows a series of Israeli strikes earlier in the week. On Wednesday, Israeli bombardment reportedly killed a policeman in southern Syria, near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights. The Israeli army confirmed that the strike targeted a Hezbollah figure in Syria. Additionally, a Tuesday air strike in the Damascus neighborhood of Mazzeh, blamed on Israel, reportedly killed seven civilians. The Observatory reported that this strike hit a building used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.
Sunday also saw Israeli air raids on military positions in central Syria, with reports of material damage but no casualties.
Iran and Hezbollah remain key allies of the Syrian government in the ongoing civil war, and Israeli air strikes have increased in frequency, particularly near the Syrian-Lebanese border, where Israel has intensified its attacks, claiming to target Hezbollah sites.
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