Israeli strike on Syrian truck convoy also hit WMD research site

Rick Moran

You can tell how very worried Israel is getting about the conflict in Syria. To them, it doesn't matter who wins - both outcomes will be bad.

The IAF strike on a convoy of trucks presumably carrying sophisticated missiles to Hezb'allah also hit a facility nearby that was engaged in research for chemical and biological weapons.

New York Times:

While the main target of the attack on Wednesday seems to have been SA-17 missiles and their launchers - which the Israelis feared were about to be moved to Hezbollah forces in Lebanon - video shown on Syrian television backs up assertions that the research center north of Damascus also suffered moderate damage.

That complex, the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, has been the target of American and Western sanctions for more than a decade because of intelligence suggesting that it was the training site for engineers who worked on chemical and biological weaponry.
A senior United States military official, asked about reports that the research center had been targeted, said that any damage was likely "due to the bombs which targeted the vehicles" carrying the antiaircraft weapons, and from "the secondary explosions from the missiles."
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss intelligence reports, said that "the Israelis had a small strike package," meaning that a relatively few fighter aircraft slipped past Syria's air defenses and that targeting both the missiles and the research center "would risk doing just a little damage to either."
"They clearly went after the air defense weapons on the transport trucks," the official said.

The closer it gets to the end for President Assad, the more worrisome his potential actions. No one knows his mental state, nor can anyone really guess at his possible endgame. At this point, Israel would rather be safe than sorry which means we can probably expect additional attacks on any weapons transfers to Hezb'allah as well as possible strikes on jihadists who may be closing in on chemical weapons storage areas.
The only side Israel is playing on in the Syrian civil war is its own.

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