Latest Israeli Air Strikes May Escalate if Iranian Involvement in Region Grows.

Israeli combat aircraft secretly pounded targets in the Hisya area of Syria south of the city of Homs on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017. The air raid, the latest in a long series of Israeli air strikes in the region, targeted a “storage facility in an industrial complex” according to the pro-Syrian government media outlet Masdar News. The Israeli military has declined to comment on this, most recent, in a series of airstrikes. Israel’s Channel 10 news outlet said no aircraft were hit during the strike and all Israeli planes returned safely to base.

Although unconfirmed, at least one media outlet suggested the facility may have been used to house chemical weapons.

The most recent Israeli airstrikes continue an escalating series of attacks launched by Israel into Syria. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have occasionally tweeted that some of the air strikes are in response to provocative actions on the part of terrorist groups in the region. Israel has remained silent about some of the airstrikes.

Among the most recent incidents:

• On September 7, 2017, Israeli aircraft struck Syria’s Masyaf chemical site in response to intelligence suggesting chemical weapons may be produced or stored there. An unspecified international monitoring organization quoted in a BBC report said the target was a scientific research center storing surface-to-surface missiles. The Israelis issued no official statement about the incident.
• On September 18, 2017, an Israeli MIM-104D Patriot missile engaged and shot down a “Hezbollah intelligence gathering drone” according to media reports. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted that Monday that, “A short while ago, the IDF intercepted a UAV that attempted to infiltrate Israeli airspace in the Golan Heights”. Media outlet Fox News reported that the drone shot down was an Iranian-made reconnaissance drone that launched from an air base in Syria. The report said it was believed to be operated by Hezbollah militants. The drone, which did not infiltrate Israeli territory, fell in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between Israel and Syria in the Golan Heights.
• On October 16, 2017, Israeli combat jets struck and destroyed a Syrian anti-aircraft missile battery east of Damascus, Syria. The Israeli airstrike was in response to anti-aircraft fire against one of its aircraft in Lebanese air space performing a photographic reconnaissance mission according to the Israelis.
• On October 21, 2017, Israeli aircraft launched precision strikes against artillery emplacements in Syria. Israeli reports posted on Twitter said three enemy artillery emplacements were destroyed.

The Israeli Air Force, and in particular its F-16 units, have earned a reputation as being highly effective. Some sources suggest they may be, “Man for man, the best air force in the world”.

A May 2001 report in Jane’s Defense quoted on the IsraelMilitary.net news forum said, “U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets from the Balkans theater recently engaged in mock combat with Israeli Air Force fighters. The Hornets were armed with AIM-9 (Sidewinder air-to-air missiles) and the Israelis carried Python 3 and Python 4 missiles using the Elbit DASH helmet mounted sight. IDR’s source described the results as ‘more than ugly’, the Israelis prevailing in 220 of the 240 engagements”

Noteworthy, after most of the recent air strikes there have been speculations that the first, brand new F-35I “Adir” might have been involved in the raids: in particular, after the Oct. 16 attack on a Syrian SAM battery, there were unconfirmed reports that an IAF F-35 was hit by the Syrian air defenses because on the very same day the IDF announced an “Adir” had been grounded following a birdstrike.

Top image credit: Tomas Del Coro/Wiki