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Israel strikes in Syria in more open assault on Iran

Ersin Çelik
16:44 - 21/01/2019 Pazartesi
Update: 16:46 - 21/01/2019 Pazartesi
REUTERS
File photo
File photo

"EVERY LAST BOOT"

The Israeli military distributed footage of what it said were missiles hitting the Syrian defence batteries, as well as satellite images showing the location of the alleged Iranian targets. Syrian state media showed footage of explosions.

In a highly publicised operation last month, the Israeli military uncovered and destroyed cross-border tunnels from Lebanon it said were dug by Hezbollah to launch future attacks.

Israel last fought a war with Hezbollah, on Lebanese soil, in 2006. It fears Hezbollah has used its own role fighting alongside Iran and Assad in Syria to bolster its military capabilities, including an arsenal of rockets aimed at Israel.

Tensions have also risen with Israel's construction of a frontier barrier that Lebanon says passes through its territory.

Washington has sought to reassure allies it still aims to eject Iran from Syria despite pulling its own troops out. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who visited the region this month, has vowed to expel "every last Iranian boot" from Syria.

Israel has sought reassurances from Moscow that Iranian forces in Syria would not be a threat. Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said the missile fired at the ski resort was launched from "an area we were promised the Iranians would not be present in".

#Israel
#Syria
#strikes
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