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This comes shortly after the Israeli military said it had deployed forces to a demilitarised buffer zone in southwest Syria, adjacent to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights
Smoke billows in the background as residents and opposition fighters celebrate in a central square after opposition forces took control of Damascus, Syria, Dec. 8, 2024. (AP Photo)
Israeli strikes on Sunday targeted government security buildings in Syria’s capital, Damascus, hours after rebels seized the city and overthrew President Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the strike, stating that the Israeli attack hit a security complex near the former regime’s buildings in Damascus. This included facilities such as intelligence, customs, and a military headquarters.
The strikes follow earlier Israeli raids that targeted air defence bases and ammunition depots near Damascus. This came shortly after the Israeli military said it had deployed forces to a demilitarised buffer zone in southwest Syria, adjacent to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, following Damascus’ fall to rebel forces.
In a statement after the Israeli raids, Syrian opposition forces declared a curfew in Damascus from 4 pm to 5 am local time on Sunday.
Netanyahu confirms raid
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the raid, stating that Israeli forces had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights, established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria.
Netanyahu noted that the decades-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, making the Israeli takeover necessary.
Israel had already stated the day before, as Islamist-led rebels swiftly advanced across Syria, that its soldiers had entered the UN-patrolled buffer zone to assist peacekeepers in repelling an attack.
On Sunday, the army announced a troop deployment in the zone, citing “the possible entry of armed individuals into the buffer zone.”
“Following the recent events in Syria… the IDF (army) has deployed forces in the buffer zone and in several other places necessary for its defence, to ensure the safety of the communities of the Golan Heights and the citizens of Israel,” a military statement said.
Israeli forces “will continue to operate as long as necessary in order to preserve the buffer zone and defend Israel,” the statement added. It stressed that the Israeli military “is not interfering with the internal events in Syria.”
It is to be noted that Israel captured the Golan Heights during the 1967 Middle East war and subsequently annexed it. While the United States recognises Israel’s sovereignty over the area, the international community largely views it as occupied Syrian territory.
Rebels Declare Damascus ‘Liberated’
This development came after Syrian rebels announced on Sunday that Damascus had been “liberated” and President Bashar al-Assad had been overthrown, marking their first statement to the nation on state television.
In a lightning offensive, Islamist-led rebels toppled Syria’s long-time rule Assad, who fled the country as rebels advanced into the capital.
Assad’s ally, Russia, confirmed that the Syrian president had resigned and left the country after agreeing to a peaceful handover of power. In a statement, the Russian ministry did not disclose Assad’s current location and clarified that Russia had not been involved in the negotiations surrounding his departure.
“As a result of negotiations between B. Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from the presidency and left the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power,” the ministry stated.
The Syrian rebels are led by the powerful insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), alongside a coalition of Turkish-backed militias known as the Syrian National Army.
(With inputs from agencies)