Israel strikes Syria with 61 air raids: tunnels and military depots targeted

Massive attacks against Syrian military targets, while the risk of unexploded ordnance in the country increases. Halo Trust raises the alarm over the safety of civilians, calling for urgent international intervention

In recent hours, at least 61 air raids, attributed to Israel, have hit military targets in Syria, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The operations targeted tunnels containing ballistic missiles, as well as ammunition depots and air defence systems around Damascus. The al-Jazeera TV confirms over 60 attacks in the last 12 hours, also extending to the southern provinces of Daraa and Homs.

These raids come against a background of extreme danger for civilians returning to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime. The humanitarian organisation Halo Trust has warned that vast areas of the country remain littered with millions of munitions and unexploded mines, the legacy of 13 years of conflict. These devices pose an immediate danger to the tens of thousands of Syrians who are returning to their homes. Damian O’Brien, Halo Trust’s Syria programme manager, emphasised the gravity of the situation: ‘Tens of thousands of people pass through heavily mined areas on a daily basis, with the risk of fatalities.

Explosives are found in various areas, including in small towns and agricultural fields, particularly in western Syria, around cities such as Aleppo, Homs and Damascus. People returning from Lebanon and Turkey often pass through areas with high concentrations of mines. Halo’s head of operations in Syria, Mouiad Alnofoly, said that reports of suspicious objects have increased dramatically.

Halo Trust has launched an urgent appeal to the international community for more resources and personnel to clear mined areas, explaining that it is ‘desperately understaffed’, with only 40 active deminers.

Meanwhile, Turkey has expressed its readiness to support the new Syrian government. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler stated that Turkey is ready to provide support to preserve Syria’s territorial integrity and complete the political process, while continuing to monitor its borders to eliminate the presence of terrorist elements.

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