According to Syrian media reports, Israel struck the Abu Al-Thaaleb Air Base near the town of Kiswah, which is home to Syria’s First Armored Division and part of the Islamic Republic’s buildup in Syria.The Israeli attack was again met with antiaircraft fire, which triggered air raid sirens on the Golan Heights and in the Upper Galilee. According to Manelis, several enemy missiles hit open areas in northern Israel.“Iran and Syria are playing with fire,” he said. “The results of our strikes are not yet fully known to them [Iran], and they may be surprised when they discover what we targeted.”Israel’s top military brass and intelligence services held high-level consultations at defense headquarters in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman and members of the security cabinet, briefed on the situation by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot.“The IDF will continue to operate against attempts to infiltrate Israeli airspace and will act with determination to prevent any violations of Israel’s sovereignty,” read an earlier statement by the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit. “The IDF is prepared for a variety of scenarios and will continue to act as necessary.”Tensions on the northern border have been rising in recent months as Iran entrenches itself deeper into war-torn Syria, with its presence on Israel’s borders growing in strength. The smuggling of sophisticated weaponry and the building a precision-missile factory in Lebanon for Hezbollah has also been a growing concern for Jerusalem.On Thursday, Assad regime forces fired at an IDF drone, with shrapnel hitting a home in the Druse village of Majdal Shams on the Golan Heights.Earlier in the week, Israel was reported to have struck an Iranian base west of Damascus. Syria’s official news agency SANA said Israeli fighter jets flying in Lebanese airspace fired a number of missiles toward the area of the Jamraya research center, targeting an Iranian base. While a number of missiles hit their intended targets, several others were intercepted by Syrian air defenses, the report said.Israel rarely comments on foreign reports of military activity but has publicly admitted to having struck more than 100 Hezbollah convoys and other targets in Syria, with Netanyahu saying that strikes will continue whenever “we have information and operational feasibility.”The IDF is striking numerous (12) Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria, in response to Iranian aggression. More to follow
— Jonathan Conricus (@LTCJonathan) February 10, 2018