Israel strikes more military sites in Latakia and Tartus, Syria war monitor says
A monitor of Syria’s war says that Israeli air strikes targeted sites belonging to ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s military in the coastal Latakia and Tartus provinces.
Israeli warplanes launched air strikes targeting “military sites” including the Latakia port as well as warehouses in neighbouring Tartus province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The United Kingdom-based monitor added that “Israeli warplanes continue to destroy what remains of Syria’s military arsenal for the fourth consecutive day since the fall of the former regime”.
UN sends reinforcements to positions in occupied Golan Heights
The UN has sent peacekeeping reinforcements to Syria following the Israeli army’s decision to move across the ceasefire line, Newsweek reports, citing an anonymous UN diplomat in New York.
The diplomat was quoted as saying that the UN has reinforced a number of its positions in the occupied Golan Heights in the past 24 hours.
Currently, the diplomat said, the Israeli army had restricted the movement of peacekeeping forces in the Golan area.
Israeli soldiers remain in southern Syria, military says
Four combat groups of the Israeli army are still deployed in southern Syria, according to the military. The Israeli military said on Wednesday that a brigade combat team was responding to threats along the border and had confiscated disused Syrian army tanks.
Other units discovered an outpost of the Syrian army on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon. They confiscated mines, explosives and missiles from an arms depot found at the outpost.
The Israeli military seized land in the so-called buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and neighbouring Syria after opposition forces ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad at the weekend.
Satellite images reveal Russian military movements in Syria
Satellite images obtained by Al Jazeera’s Sanad verification unit show Russian military movements at the Hmeimim airbase and port of Tartous, in addition to details of recent Israeli attacks at the port of Latakia.
Images captured by Maxar Space Systems reveal that most Russian warships departed from the Tartous naval base. Two Russian frigates were still positioned 7-12km (4.5-7.5 miles) west and northwest of the port.
Warplanes and helicopters remained in their usual positions at the Hmeimim airbase near Latakia. No major redeployment or reinforcements were noticeable.
Moscow has said it is in contact with the new Syrian leadership over the fate of its military bases in the country.
Satellite images taken on December 10 also confirmed the extent of the destruction of several missile boats following Israeli air attacks on the port of Latakia. Israel has been aiming to weaken Syrian naval capabilities and prevent any potential threats from the country following the ousting of al-Assad.
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