Syria: Israeli Strikes Cause Major Destruction

Facts

• On Sun., satellite imagery published by the Times of Israel revealed massive destruction at a Syrian military facility based near the northwestern city of Masyaf in the Hama governorate, following an Israeli air attack the previous Thursday.
• The satellite images of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) were taken by Planet Labs PBC and provided by Aurora Intel, a network that shares news and updates based on open-source intelligence. Some buildings and areas sustained heavy damage, according to Aurora Intel.
• According to Rami Abdurrahman, the leader of the information group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the main target of the strike was a weapons depot housing about 1K precision-guided middle-range missiles. The hit caused secondary explosions that lasted more than five hours and were among the largest since Israel began carrying out air strikes in Syria.
• The air attack didn't affect the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' nearby underground facility that develops missiles, said Abdurrahman.
• Israel's military didn't comment on the attack. The nation rarely publicly acknowledges its Syrian targets - however, after more than a decade of civil war, it has admitted to targeting Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group and other Iran-backed groups with the aim of countering Iranian entrenchment in Syria.
• Last week's attack follows the death of three Syrian soldiers, and the wounding of three more on Aug. 14 as the result of "multiple" Israeli missile strikes on Syria, according to Syrian state media.

Sources: Times of Israel, Voa, and Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Syria has become a major threat to the very existence of Israel, as Iran and Hezbollah have expanded their presence in the country. In response, Israel has had no choice but to adopt a "war between wars," targeting Iranian and Iran-backed military presence and weapons that have been positioned in Syria to attack Israel.
• Narrative B, as provided by SANA. Israel is continuing to violate international law and treaties as well as the sovereignty of its neighbors through routine aggression. The UN Security Council must act to halt Israeli defiance of internationally agreed norms to promote peace and stability in the Middle East.

Predictions