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Israeli jets bombed Assad missile stations, say rebels

January 27, 2014 10:40
An Israel Air Force F16-C Fighter-Bomber Aircraft (Photo: Aldo Bidini)

ByDaniel Easterman, Daniel Easterman

1 min read

The Israeli Air Force bombed several missile launcher positions in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia last night, according to unconfirmed reports from Syrian opposition groups.

Latakia is a heavily Alawite area, firmly in control of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The weapons systems targeted by Israeli jets are thought to be Russian-made S-300s, advanced surface-to-air missiles capable of shooting down aircraft at long range.

Opposition forces reported an explosion in the Sheikh Dahar section of the city, near Latakia’s port, but the Syrian government has not corroborated the information.

An organisation known as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which collects and organises reports on behalf of the rebels and opposition activists, said there was an additional bombardment near an air defence base at Jabaleh, also in the Latakia coastal province area.