Israel Launched Missile Attack on Latakia, Syria

Another devastating air strike occurred yesterday, as Israel unleashed unprovoked attack targeting Syrian foot supplies and civilian businesses.

Steven Sahiounie from Middle East Discourse reports…

The main port of Syria at Latakia was attacked by Israeli missiles fired from the Mediterranean Sea at about 1:00 am today.  The Syrian air defenses reacted to the strike which produced five large explosions which rocked the nearby residential neighborhoods, with some residents reporting broken windows in the bitterly cold night.

Latakia’s new Governor, Amer Ismail Hilal, said from the scene, “The firefighting teams were able to put out the fire that erupted at the port containers yard after the Israeli aggression.”

Dozens of shipping containers were destroyed and damaged.  Photos from the scene show packages of coffee scattered among the debris, as evidence of commercial food, having been destroyed.  The port is used by private businesses to import medicines, food products, and supplies for Syrian residents who are suffering from devastating US-EU sanctions which prevent importing materials for rebuilding after 10 years of armed conflict.

Russia, which has been Syria’s most powerful ally during the war, operates an airbase some 20 km (12 miles) away at Hmeimim in Latakia province. Israel typically refrains from carrying out attacks against targets if there are Russian troops nearby.

Israel has staged hundreds of strikes on targets inside Syria over the years, some of which have targeted the main airport in the capital Damascus.

Private merchants were destroyed financially

The food products destroyed in the attack were imported by private businesses.  These merchants are now faced with financial ruin.  Many such merchants have left the country, but the ones who have stayed have suffered greatly from the US-EU sanctions which prevent the transfer of money from Syria to pay for shipments. These merchants have provided vital supplies for the Syrian public.  The Israeli attack on the shipping containers may cause merchants to give up ordering the supplies the residents need, such as medicines and food, for fear of loss of the cargo to an attack.  Experts have said this is likely the aim and strategy of the Israel missile attack: to prevent supplies coming in, which will result in further suffering of the Syrian people, who never left their homes, but have been patiently awaiting a return to peace and stability.

What was the target?

Israel has acknowledged that it targets the bases of Iran-allied groups, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah that has fighters deployed in Syria. It says it attacks arms shipments believed to be bound for the groups.

However, what is the evidence that Israeli or US missile attacks on Syria are strictly on military targets?  A past US missile attack on Syria destroyed a medical research lab in Damascus developing domestic chemotherapy drugs, in wake of the US-EU sanctions preventing even chemotherapy drugs from being imported.  A past Israeli attack near Latakia destroyed an agricultural warehouse.  The intelligence gathered for Israeli and US airstrikes has a history of being faulty…

Read more at Middle East Discourse

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