Israeli fighter jets bombed an Iranian arms shipment in the Syrian port of Latakia, local sources say. The military gear was earmarked for delivery to Hezbollah, according to some reports.
Sensitive equipment was destroyed in the late-night attack, according to the WorldNews IL intelligence blog, but no further details were provided. The strike targeted advanced Iranian weapons, various sources said.
Military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai later wrote that the target was apparently air defense systems. Iran possibly tried to smuggle them in without Syrian president Assad’s knowledge, he said.
The port was rocked by multiple explosions and fires broke out as several missiles hit containers shipped to the site. The attack suggests pinpoint intelligence about the exact location of the targets at the busy seaport.
The assault was preceded by reports of heavy Air Force traffic in some areas in Israel. The strike force exploited superb weather conditions to carry out the unusual operation, journalist Yossi Yehoshua said.
The IDF did not comment about the latest strike, which follows an uptick in alleged Israeli bombings of Iranian assets in Syria. In parallel, Tehran appears to be boosting its efforts to smuggle weapons into the region, including high-precision missiles.
