An unspecified number of civilians and military personnel were killed in the early morning on Friday, March 29 when Israel launched yet another air airstrike in Syria. Israeli missiles targeted civilian areas in the country’s Aleppo province in the north of Damascus, causing large scale destruction as well.
The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) did not mention the number of casualties. Reuters, citing some unnamed sources, claimed that at least 38 people were killed in the attacks. It also claimed that attacks were carried out from the south-eastern part of the country hinting at the illegal US military base in Syria’s Al-Tanf.
According to Syria’s official news agency, the Israeli air strike, which happened at around 1:45 AM local time, coincided with a drone attack carried out by “terrorist organizations from Idlib and western countryside of Aleppo province.” Groups fighting against the Bashar al-Assad led government since 2011 still control a large part of Syria’s Idlib and Aleppo provinces. Most of these groups are identified as terrorist organizations by the Assad government. Some of those groups have been reportedly affiliated to the international extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda.
Friday’s attack was the third such Israeli attack in Syria in the last three days. On Wednesday, there were reports of Israel bombing Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor province, killing at least seven persons, including civilians.
There was an attack on a residential building in the vicinity of capital Damascus on Thursday as well, in which at least two Syrians were killed.
Israel has repeatedly targeted Aleppo and other parts of Syria since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, killing hundreds of civilians and military personnel. It has carried out strikes against the Aleppo airport, shutting it down several times in the past. Israel had bombed the airport even during the devastating earthquake last year, when it was the hub of humanitarian supplies to the country, disrupting the relief work.
Syria has raised the issue of unprovoked Israeli aggression repeatedly in the UN, calling it an aid to the armed terrorist groups against the government and an attempt to prolong the war in the country and demanding action against Israel as per the UN charter.
Even after years have passed and hundreds of attacks have taken place, the UN has failed to initiate any action against Israel over Syria’s complaints so far.
Earlier this month during a discussion on the condition in Syria and the Middle East in the UN Security Council, Russia and Iran had raised the issue of the Israeli attacks along with Syria claiming that such attacks provoke instability and could lead to wider regional conflict.
Iranian ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani said that the 13 years long war in Syria has caused massive suffering to the people of the country and had “adverse consequences on peace, security, and stability throughout the region,” because some countries, including Israel have used to the conflict to advance their own political agenda.
Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia had expressed alarm over Israel’s “irresponsible acts” of attacking Syria, which violates international law as well as the sovereignty of a UN member nation.
