(Reuters) – The Israeli military said on Tuesday it struck targets at two Syrian military bases, “Tadmur and T4”, in the province of Homs, citing their military capabilities in a statement.
Israel has stepped up air strikes in Syria in recent months, targeting military sites it says are linked to Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, both allies of the former Syrian government.
The province of Homs, home to the T4 and Tadmur airbases, has been repeatedly hit because of its role in regional arms transfers.
The strikes intensified after Islamist rebels ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, the culmination of more than a decade of civil war.
Israel has watched the upheaval in Syria with a mixture of hope and concern as it weighs the consequences of one of the most significant strategic shifts in the Middle East in years.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist faction that led efforts to topple Assad and was previously affiliated with al Qaeda, has drawn particular scrutiny from the Israelis.
Israel has repeatedly said it will not tolerate the presence of HTS or affiliated groups in southern Syria, and has called for the area to be demilitarised.
Since then, Israel has expanded its operations to targets in Latakia and near the Lebanese border, citing growing concerns over Iranian entrenchment and regional instability.
(Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab; Editing by Michael Georgy and Clarence Fernandez)
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