Syrian regime has accused Israel of more than five major attacks this year

The Syrian regime doesn’t always blame Israel for airstrikes in Syria, however it appears it has increased its reporting of incidents in the last few months.

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
A woman walks past a poster depicting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria March 5, 2020 (photo credit: REUTERS/YAMAM AL SHAAR)
A woman walks past a poster depicting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Syria March 5, 2020
(photo credit: REUTERS/YAMAM AL SHAAR)
On Monday evening just before midnight the Syrian regime and its sources reported airstrikes near Palmyra. Later reports asserted that the airstrikes targeted a gathering of Iranian militias. The Syrian regime boasted that it downed the incoming missiles. This is at least the fifth major attack that Syria has blamed on Israel this year.
The Syrian regime doesn’t always blame Israel for airstrikes in Syria, however it appears it has increased its reporting of incidents in the last few months. Including the April 20 incident near Palmyra there have also been reported airstrikes against a Hezbollah-linked car on April 15, airstrikes on the runway of Shayrat airbase near Homs on March 31, airstrikes on March 12 near al Bukamal and also another strike near Homs on March 5. More strikes occurred near Khadr on February 27 and also against the T-4 airbase on January 14.
The Homs attacks were revealed by satellite images at ImageSat International and include the March 31 attack on an important airbase as well as Syrian regime claims of another strike on March 5.
Back in January an airstrike on T-4 reportedly killed several pro-Iranian militia members on January 14. Another January 10 airstrike was reported at al Bukamal on the Syrian border with Iraq. This came days after Iran carried out ballistic missile strikes on US forces in Iraq amid US-Iran tensions on January 8. T-4 base is the major and important base that Iran uses for basing drones, air defense and transiting precision guided munitions and other forces. It is part of a network of Iranian bases, including those at Imam Ali on the Iraqi border near al Bukamal and at Damascus airport.
On February 27, an airstrike targeted a car with Hezbollah member Imad Tawil in it near Khadr not far from the Golan Heights. The Syrian regime blamed Israel. He is not the only Hezbollah member eliminated in that area. Israel said it carried out airstrikes in August that hit Hezbollah “killer drone,” teams.
On March 12, in the wake of an attack by Iranian-backed militias on Camp Taji where two Americans and one UK service member were killed, massive airstrikes targeted Iran’s Imam Ali base in Syria near al Bukamal. ImageSat International images published on March 18 revealed the extent of the March 12 damage to the base. This was followed by the Shayrat strikes which Syria not only blamed on Israel but also boasted it had downed incoming missiles. Two weeks later a group of Hezbollah members were caught on video running from their SUV seconds before it blew up on the Syrian-Lebanese border forty minutes outside of Damascus. That attack was also blamed on Israel by Iranian and pro-Syrian regime media.
Tensions have risen on the Lebanese border as well as the fence with Lebanon, which was damaged on April 17, and pro-Hezbollah images were put near the fence. Iran’s media bragged that Hezbollah is threatening Israel. In addition, Lebanese reported numerous incidents of what they said was Israeli aerial activity over Lebanon.
The airstrikes on al Bukamal, T-4, Palmyra, Homs, Shayrat and near the Golan are wide-ranging and the Syrian regime has blamed Israel but has kept quiet in the follow-up. Other incidents have come and gone without much attention. On April 5 a pro-Iranian militia member was killed in unclear circumstances near al Bukamal. Iranian media has also reported on the incidents in Syria. Iran’s Press TV claimed on April 21 that Syrian air defense intercepted Israeli missiles over Palmyra during the April 20 incident. Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif had just been in Damascus.