January 2013 Israeli airstrike in Syria
| January 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrike | |
|---|---|
| Part of Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian Civil War | |
.svg) Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria (red) |
|
| Objective | Destroy a weapons convoy carrying Soviet/Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah |
| Date | 31 January 2013 |
| Executed by | Alleged Israeli Air Force involvement |
| Outcome | Destruction of anti-aircraft missiles destined for Hezbollah and collateral damage to nearby research center on biological and chemical weapons |
| Casualties | 2 people killed (official Syrian report) |
The January 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrike was an aerial attack in the Rif Dimashq Governorate of Syria, made on a convoy, that was believed to be carrying advanced anti-aircraft weaponry from Syria to the Lebanese Shi'a militia Hezbollah. The convoy was attacked on 31 January 2013. According to several media sources, Israeli forces allegedly conducted the strike, however Israel hasn't officially responded to the allegations.
The convoy was attacked while parked at a facility of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, Syria's main research center on biological and chemical weapons, at Jamraya, several miles northwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus. In addition to Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, secondary explosions from the attacked munitions also damaged a building of the Scientific Studies and Research Center. Satellite images taken a few days after the attack showed a scorched and blackened parking lot at the center, where the arms convoy was apparently hit.
Israel did not officially confirm responsibility for the bombing, but Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak suggested that it could have been behind the attack, saying on 3 February, "I cannot add anything to what you've read in the newspapers about what happened in Syria several days ago, but I keep telling, frankly, that we've said – and that's another proof that when we say something we mean it – we say that we don't think that it should be allowable to bring advanced weapon systems into Lebanon."
The attack on January 2013 was reportedly part of Israel's efforts to stem the flow of sophisticated weapons from Iran and Syria to Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'a Islamic militant group and political party that is designated a terrorist organization by some countries. Israel's newly re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reported to have notified the United States and Russia of the impending attack a few days beforehand.
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Wikipedia