The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) carried out nearly 500 airstrikes on Syria in the past 48 hours, targeting critical military installations, reports stated on Wednesday.
The attacks came after President Bashar al-Assad was forced to flee the country as rebel forces seized control of capital Damascus and other towns.
Assad has reportedly sought refuge in Russia.
“Within the last 48 hours, the IDF struck most of the strategic weapons stockpiles in Syria, preventing them from falling into the hands of terrorist elements.” The military reported that the airstrikes destroyed a variety of key assets, including naval vessels, anti-aircraft systems, and weapons production sites across major Syrian cities such as Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra, The Times of India reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier hailed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime as “a new and dramatic chapter.”
“The collapse of the Syrian regime is a direct result of the severe blows with which we have struck Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. As I promised, we are changing the face of the Middle East,” Netanyahu said at a press conference.
Images showed large scale destruction of military vessels at the Syrian naval port in Latakia.
Several Arab states have, on the other hand, accused Israel of exploiting instability in Syria to execute a land grab.
