Syrian state broadcaster showed on Saturday aftermath images of last week's
alleged Israeli air strike on the sprawling Jamraya site north-west of
Damascus.
Footage of the damage to the military research center which was
targeted on Wednesday morning and of charred vehicles lining up the streets, was
played as witnesses recounted the attack.
The Jamraya research center is
in the town of Jamraya, 8 miles (13 km) from the border with Lebanon, surrounded
by heavily militarized areas including several army bases and artillery sites on
the Qasioun mountain range, which overlooks Damascus proper 3 miles (5 km) to
the east.
Details of Wednesday's strike remain sketchy and, in parts,
contradictory. Syria said Israeli warplanes, flying low to avoid detection by
radar, crossed into its airspace from Lebanon and struck the Jamraya military
site.
But diplomats, Syrian rebels and regional security sources said the
Israeli planes hit a weapons convoy heading from Syria to Lebanon, apparently
destined for President Bashar al-Assad's ally Hezbollah, and the rebels said
they - not Israel - hit Jamraya with mortars.
A statement from the joint
military council of the rebel Free Syrian Army described Jamraya as "one of the
biggest shabbiha strongholds", where it said Iranian, Russian and Hezbollah
members were helping develop chemical and other weapons including 'barrel bombs'
used by Assad's air force.
