The assault on the pocket between Homs and Hama – the most populous remaining besieged area in Syria – included both air strikes and artillery, said the war monitor.
Advertisement
Based in Hama killed 26 soldiers, majority Iranians.
Netanyahu has repeatedly called for the deal with Israel’s main enemy to be altered or scrapped, though most world powers see it as key to preventing Tehran from obtaining atomic weapons.
The Security Cabinet met in a hastily planned session Monday afternoon to discuss the implications of the attack on Syrian military bases early Monday, as Syrian military sources quoted in local media said they had discovered “evidence” that Israel was behind the attack.
Syria’s state TV said buses entered Monday the villages of Kfarya and Foua to begin evacuating some 1,500 civilians in a first stage of the agreement.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated the late Sunday evening assault seems to have been carried out by Israel to destroy an arms depot for surface-to-surface missiles at a base in northern Syria close to Aleppo, generally known as Brigade 47. Meanwhile, an official in an alliance that includes Syria and its regional allies told the New York Times that Iran will likely attack Israel after the Lebanese parliamentary election in May.
But sources in the MOD say there was no involvement in the strikes, which saw missiles strike targets in Aleppo and Homs.
The attack came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talked to President Trump on the phone.
However, SANA state news agency reported continued intensive bombardment of Al Hajar Al Aswad, another area in the south Damascus pocket where ISIS fighters are based. Israel’s intelligence services fear that attack of punishment may occur after elections planned in Lebanon, on 6 May, or at end of 12 May deadline set by White House to decide on future of nuclear agreement with Iran SUSCRI To in 2015.
The Syrian army said on Sunday that rockets had struck several military bases in the Hama and Aleppo countryside.
A USA military source denied to Israel’s Hadashot news that an American coalition was behind the attack.
Some of the military positions of the Assad regime were hit by rockets in Syria.
Israel has cited Iran’s hostile rhetoric, support for anti-Israel militant groups and development of long-range missiles.
Seven Iranian soldiers were among 14 military personnel killed in that attack.
Overnight there were massive explosions at multiple military bases in Syria, including bases believed to be run by Iran.
Advertisement
In May of previous year, the region was designated a de-escalation zone within the framework of ongoing peace talks – attended by Turkish, Russian and Iranian representatives – in the Kazakh capital Astana. “It’s yet to be confirmed but the targets in recent history of Israeli bombing inside of Syria would suggest that that’s who’s responsible”, he said.
