Posted on 12/10/2024 7:43:22 PM PST by Uncle Miltie
Following a major 48-hour bombing campaign in Syria, the Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday said it had destroyed most of the former Bashar al-Assad regime’s strategic military capabilities, in an effort to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of hostile elements.
In a statement, the IDF said that its Air Force and Navy had carried out over 350 strikes against “strategic targets” in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime over the weekend, taking out “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria.”
The military estimated that it had destroyed 70-80 percent of the former Assad regime’s strategic military capabilities.
The operation was dubbed “Bashan Arrow” within the military, after the biblical name for the Golan Heights and southern Syria region.
The IDF released footage from the campaign, during which it said over 320 targets were struck across all of Syria.
The strikes began late Saturday, first taking out Syrian air defenses to give the Israeli Air Force more freedom.
Footage released by the IDF on December 10, 2024, shows Israeli Navy and Israeli Air Force strikes on Syria. (Israel Defense Forces)
Wave after wave of airstrikes carried out by IAF fighter jets and drones then hit Syrian airbases, weapon depots and weapon production sites in Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia and Palmyra, according to the military.
The military said the airstrikes destroyed many long-range projectiles, Scud missiles, cruise missiles, coast-to-sea missiles, air defense missiles, fighter jets, helicopters, radars, tanks, hangars and more.
The IAF also targeted several chemical weapons sites in Syria during the waves of strikes, Israeli officials have said.
An aerial photo shows a Syrian naval ship destroyed in an overnight Israeli attack in the port city of Latakia on December 10, 2024. (AAREF WATAD / AFP)
Meanwhile, on Monday night, Israeli Navy missile boats destroyed 15 naval vessels belonging to the former regime at the Minet el-Beida bay and Latakia port on the Syrian coast, the military said.
The Assad regime, which fell on Sunday after a lightning offensive by rebel forces, was an ally of the Iranian regime, and a part of its so-called Axis of Resistance against Israel.
An aerial photo shows Syrian naval ships destroyed during an overnight Israeli attack on the port city of Latakia on December 10, 2024. (Photo by AAREF WATAD / AFP)
For many years, Syria was used as a throughway for Iranian weapons, en route to terror groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, with which Israel entered a shaky ceasefire last month.
Israel feared that following the collapse of the Assad regime, the former Syrian army’s weapons could fall into the hands of hostile forces in the country, as well as the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In a message to the new regime taking shape in Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would seek to establish relations, but wouldn’t hesitate to attack if it threatens the Jewish state.
“We have no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of Syria,” he said in a video statement, “but we certainly do intend to do what is necessary to ensure our security.”
Hence, he said, the Israeli Air Force was bombing “military strategic capabilities” left by the Syrian Army of the ousted Assad regime, “so that they won’t fall into the hands of the jihadists.”
“We want correct relations with the new regime in Syria,” he went on. “But if this regime allows Iran to reestablish itself in Syria, or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons or any other weapons to Hezbollah, or attacks us, we will respond forcefully and we will exact a heavy price from it.”
“What happened to the previous regime will also happen to this regime,” he warned.
This picture shows a burned Syrian army helicopter after Israeli strikes said to target weapons depots near the Mezzeh military airbase, outside Damascus, on December 9, 2024. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP)
Defense Minister Israel Katz also issued a warning to Syria’s rebels, saying that any entity that poses a threat to Israel will be targeted relentlessly.
“The IDF has acted in the last few days to attack and destroy strategic capabilities that threaten the State of Israel,” he said, during a tour of the Haifa Naval Base during which he was briefed on the Navy strikes on the Assad regime naval assets.
He warned the rebels that “whoever follows Assad’s footsteps will end up like Assad did. We won’t allow an extremist Islamic terror entity to act against Israel from beyond its borders… we will do anything to remove the threat.”
Katz reiterated that the IDF is creating a demilitarized area, and said he has ordered a “sterile defensive zone” to be created in southern Syria, without a permanent Israeli presence, to prevent any terrorist threat to Israel.
The Israeli operations in Syria came in the wake of a lightning offensive by rebel forces there, which on Sunday toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad in a dramatic two-week chapter of a civil war that began in 2011, and which had been locked in a stalemate for years.
Following the regime’s fall, Israel moved to destroy regime weapons sites before they could fall into the hands of forces hostile to the country, amid the chaotic takeover by rebel groups, many of which were originally associated with al-Qaeda and other jihadist groups.
At the same time, Israel denied reports that its ground forces had gone beyond a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that the IDF seized on Sunday and stressed that its control of that area was a temporary, defensive measure.
Troops of the elite Shaldag unit are seen on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, December 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)
“Reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that IDF troops are advancing or approaching Damascus are completely incorrect,” Col. Avichay Adraee, the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman, wrote on X.
“IDF troops are present inside the buffer zone and at defensive positions close to the border in order to protect the Israeli border,” he added.
The comment came after Reuters, citing two regional security sources and one Syrian security source, claimed that troops reached “Qatana.” It was unclear whether the report was referring to the Qatana district, parts of which abut the buffer zone, or the town of Qatana, which is around 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from Damascus and east of the buffer zone.
Israel has said it will not become involved in the conflict in Syria and that its seizure of the buffer zone established in 1974 was a defensive move.
Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days, but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria’s conflict. It said it had taken “limited and temporary measures” solely to protect its security.
This is really remarkable and yet zero media coverage because, well, the US media does not like it when Jews are winning.
Syria never signed a peace treaty with Israel and since its founding has threatened the nation. And yet in a matter of days (akin to the 6-day war) Israel completely destroyed Syria’s navy and air force. (There was no need to destroy the army which had already deserted).
Next up: Iran’s nuke reactors.
And what about Syrias chemical weapon stocks?
I believe some were transferred to Russia some years ago... but not all of it...
Apparently Israel bombed chemical sites as well... but I wonder if that was successful...
Glad to see them doing this. Saves much trouble later.
Heard that.
Wouldn’t want to be in the neighborhood.
From the above excerpt:
"The IAF also targeted several chemical weapons sites in Syria during the waves of strikes, Israeli officials have said."
>>Syria’s chemical weapon stocks
Dropping explosives on it doesn’t sound particularly clever. Isn’t this where you put boots in soft, civilian materials on the ground?
There was a blog I saw this morning saying the entire Syrian navy had been destroyed, complaining that it was receiving very little news coverage because there was so much going on. This is the scaled up version of that news.
A rosy number for sure especially considering all the good stuff is underground.
Psalm 135:11: "He slew mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan — every last one of the Canaanite kings!"
I have an extremely vague recollection from the Iraq war that there is a certain air dropped munition that is more appropriate to chemical weapons depots. Something more incinerating and less explosive.
I’ll go look around. Maybe someone reading knows...
They need to do this before January 20th. Preferably on New Year's Day so any halt of arms sales from Biden in retaliation can be cancelled before the end of the month by Trump. Trump also needs to claw back the $10 billion Biden handed Iran right after the election.
When attacking a chemical weapons depot or production facility, is there a style of munition that limits the likelihood of the attack releasing chemical weapons to the immediate vicinity?
ChatGPT said:
ChatGPT
When attacking a chemical weapons depot or production facility, the goal is to destroy the target while minimizing the risk of triggering a large-scale release of toxic chemicals. There are several considerations in terms of munitions and strategies designed to limit collateral damage and the dispersion of chemical agents:
Precision-guided munitions (PGMs): These are highly accurate weapons, such as guided bombs or missiles, which can target specific parts of a facility, like storage tanks or production equipment, rather than indiscriminately striking the entire facility. By targeting the structural components or equipment rather than large volumes of stored chemical agents, PGMs can reduce the likelihood of triggering a widespread release.
Penetration weapons (bunker busters): These munitions are designed to penetrate deep into hardened structures before detonating. When used against chemical weapons depots or production facilities, they can target storage or production chambers deep underground or within reinforced structures. The idea is to penetrate the facility without releasing the chemicals into the environment. However, this is still a risk since if the munitions detonate near or inside the chemical storage, it could lead to the release of the chemicals.
Thermobaric weapons: These weapons use a combination of fuel and air to create a massive explosion. While thermobaric weapons are designed to cause extensive destruction in buildings or facilities, their use in chemical weapons depots could lead to the ignition of chemical agents, depending on the specific type of chemical stored. However, they may still be considered in cases where precision and minimizing exposure are less critical than total destruction.
Chemical agent neutralization tactics: In some cases, the attacking force might use munitions that can neutralize the chemicals inside the facility before detonation. This could include munitions designed to disperse neutralizing agents or to target and destroy only the production equipment, with a focus on rendering the chemical agents inactive.
Low-yield, high precision: For minimizing the likelihood of a release, smaller-yield explosives, particularly when used with precision targeting, are preferred. Large-scale explosions are more likely to result in the widespread dispersal of chemical agents, whereas smaller, highly targeted strikes reduce this risk.
In summary, precision-guided munitions, bunker-busting weapons, and careful targeting strategies are the most effective ways to reduce the likelihood of releasing chemical agents into the surrounding area. However, even with these methods, there is always some risk of chemical release due to the nature of the agents involved, so these kinds of attacks are typically highly controlled and used as a last resort in military strategy.
ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.
The US were also conducting airstrikes in Syria in support of the Kurds and our bases and against ISIS. This included strikes by F15’s, A10’s and B-52’s. Not a good day to be backed by Iran in Syria.
Iran has taken a severe beating in gaza, lebanon and syria.
Someone should hit them in Yemen too.
Sucks to be a mullah or supporter.
Definitely interesting. Should I ever find myself in need of accurate information on the topic, I’ll be sure to ask beyond ChatGPT.
I was quite impressed by an Air Force Colonel, his chest filled with medals, at one of our military contractor meetings long ago and far away. I stupidly asked him what they were for and he somewhat sheepishly described a good many “he was there” types. But one made him glow. He’d gotten it for doing the calculations for when you drop a nuclear bomb, how to maneuver your aircraft to get out of the danger zone STAT. Hope he passed the calculations on to the other good guys.
Then there was the German gentleman at a different contractor’s meeting that I was supposed to entertain. His demeanor was not such that topics were not easy to come up with. Again, stupidly, I asked what he really dreamed of doing in life. His answer? Having the chance to get my enemies before I die. Stupid questions frequently end up in total silence.
I wonder if Israel gave Russia a courtesy notice to get their ships out to sea pronto!
I find that worrysome. /s
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