The Israeli Air Force is likely to strike Syria in the near future, according to a report released by The New York Times on Wednesday night.

After a recent strike on a Syrian arm’s cache failed to wipe out the entirety of a Russian-made anti ship missile arsenal, US intelligence analysts have concluded that Israel will want to finish the job with a future attack, according to unnamed American officials.

Israeli Fighter Jet F-16 – Photo: Courtesy IDF spokesman.

 

According to foreign reports, Israel carried out an early morning air strike on a Syrian weapons cache in the port city of Latakia on July 5. The attack allegedly targeted Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles that could pose a threat to Israel.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that, while the IAF airstrike destroyed the warehouse containing the Russian-made anti-ship missiles, American intel analysts believe that some of the missiles were moved prior to the Israeli attack.

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US officials provided new information on the July 5 strike, saying that Israeli aircraft had never entered Syrian airspace, firing air-to-ground missiles from the eastern Mediterranean. This led to false reports that an Israeli submarine had carried out the attack, officials told the Times.

According to the report, the continued flow of weapons from Russia to the Syrian regime could prompt further IAF strikes, given Israel’s fear of such weaponry being transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Russia has recently sent the regime pf Bashar Assad SA-26 anti-aircraft missiles and two MI-24 Hind helicopters, according to the Times.

Both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon have stated repeatedly that, while Israel has no desire or intention to intervene in Syria’s civil war, it will act to prevent the transfer of game-changing weaponry to Hezbollah.

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Report-US-analysts-predict-future-Israeli-air-strikes-on-Syrian-arms-cache-321725