Operation 'Spear of the Habbashan'; Israel's Heavy Attacks on Syrian Weapon Depots

The Israeli army announced that during heavy attacks in an operation titled 'Spear of the Habbashan' over the past 48 hours, it targeted strategic weapon depots and military equipment in Syrian territory. According to a report from the Israeli Defense Forces on Tuesday, December 20, they 'attacked most of the strategic weapon depots in Syria that were at risk of falling into the hands of terrorist elements.' The report stated that on Monday evening, 'Israeli naval missile ships' targeted the ports of al-Bayda and Latakia, where '15 Syrian naval vessels were anchored,' using 'simultaneous operations with dozens of weapons.' In these operations, 'dozens of naval missiles' with a range 'between 80 to 190 kilometers,' each carrying 'dozens of kilograms of explosives and posing a threat to commercial and military ships in the region,' were targeted by the Israeli army. In the air operations, the Israeli army stated that 'drones flew hundreds of hours in Syrian airspace and, along with fighter jets, conducted over 350 airstrikes,' during which 'various types of air defense systems, Syrian Air Force airports, and dozens of targets from various production sites in the areas of Damascus, Homs, Tartus, Latakia, and Palmyra were attacked.' According to the Israeli Defense Forces, 'this round of attacks destroyed a large amount of weapons, including Scud missiles, cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, drones, fighter jets, attack helicopters, radars, tanks, silos, and more.' The report also mentioned that 'the Northern Command Center, using drones, attacked over 130 targets in Syrian territory, including weapon depots, military buildings, launchers, and firing positions.' Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz emphasized on Monday, December 19, that the Israeli army must 'immediately prevent the resumption of arms smuggling from the Islamic Republic to Lebanon through Syria,' both within Syrian territory and at border crossing points. Katz also stated during a visit to the border with Syria that the fall of Bashar al-Assad would 'deal a severe blow to the axis of evil' of the Iranian regime. Mohammad Bashir, an opposition figure supported by opponents of Bashar al-Assad, announced on Tuesday, December 20, that he would lead the country as interim prime minister until March 1. The article also references various reports and statements regarding the situation in Syria and the implications of Assad's potential fall for the Iranian regime's influence.