Israeli aviation destroys Iranian missile depots in Tartus

In the early morning hours of 16 December, Israeli aircraft launched a series of missile and bombing strikes on facilities near the city of Tartus in northwestern Syria. The explosions that followed caused a magnitude 3 tremor.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 10 strikes hit the Tartus area. Weapons depots and air defence positions were destroyed. Military facilities in Latakia were also struck.

It is to be noted that there are two Russian military bases in Tartus and Latakia. In recent days, the Russian military began to hastily leave them and remove their equipment and machinery.

According to Israeli and some Western media, the warehouses in Tartus were storing ballistic missiles that were given to the Assad regime by Iran. Until recently, these missiles were controlled by the Iranian military.

According to foreign sources, since 8 December, Israeli aviation has carried out more than 400 strikes on military facilities in Syria.