Damascus: Israel launched airstrikes targeting a Syrian air defence battalion near the western coastal city of Tartus, Syrian state media and a war monitor reported. The strikes on Monday night hit the outskirts of Tartus, with no immediate reports of casualties. Syrian Civil Defence teams and military specialists were deployed to assess the damage and confirm the exact locations of the strikes, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Syria's state-run SANA news agency. A local TV channel said the attack hit an air defence battalion in Tartus. Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported a large explosion at Tartus Port, coinciding with the presence of unidentified aircraft, believed to be sent by Israel.

Prior to the attack, text messages were reportedly sent to residents warning them to "stay away from areas housing terrorists." Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli military, confirmed the attack, stating that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had struck a military site in Qardaha, a town near Tartus and the hometown of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. \

"The IDF targeted a military site used for storing weapons belonging to the deposed Syrian regime," Adraee said, adding that the strikes were in response to "recent developments in the region." It was the latest Israeli attack in Syria, where, following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government, Israel has deployed ground forces and conducted airstrikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently called for the demilitarisation of southern Syria, despite Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria's interim president, stating the new government does not want conflicts "with any country, not even with Israel." 

(IANS)