| May 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrikes | |
|---|---|
| Part ofHezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war and theIran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war | |
.svg) Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria (red) | |
| Planned by | Israel (allegedly) |
| Objective | Destroy a munitions depot,[1] stop transfer of weapons toHezbollah |
| Date | 3 May 2013 (2013-05-03) and 5 May 2013 (2013-05-05) |
| Executed by | Israeli Air Force involvement alleged |
| Outcome | unknown |
| Casualties | 42+ soldiers dead (SOHR claim), and many civilian casualties (Syrian government claim)[2] |
TheMay 2013 Rif Dimashq airstrikes were a series of aerial attacks made on targets inSyria on 3 and 5 May 2013.[3] The 3 May attack was on targets atDamascus International Airport.[1][4] The 5 May attacks were on targets atJamraya, and theAl-Dimas andMaysalun areas inRif Dimashq (Damascus Countryside).[5] Although officiallyIsrael neither confirmed nor denied its involvement, formerMossad directorDanny Yatom and former government memberTzachi Hanegbi inferred Israel's involvement in the attack.[6] Official Syrian sources denied any attack on its soil on 3 May, but did accuse Israel for the attacks on 5 May.[7]
Early on 3 May 2013, several unidentified warplanes attacked a warehouse inDamascus International Airport that contained advancedsurface-to-surface missiles that allegedly had been transported fromIran and were possibly bound forHezbollah militants inLebanon. The warehouse was believed to be controlled by Hezbollah and Iran'sQuds Force.[1] An unidentified American official said the missiles wereFateh-110s and two Israeli defense analysts said they includedScud Ds.[1][8][9] Satellite images showed that two facilities on opposite sides of the airport were destroyed.[4]
In the early hours of 5 May there were further air strikes on Syria.SANA, the Syrian state news agency, said there were strikes in three places: northeast of Jamraya; the Al-Dimas air base; and at Maysalun on the border with Lebanon.[5] Syria suggested it had been attacked with rockets.[10]
Photographs handed out by SANA and video shown onAl-Manar, a Lebanese television station affiliated with Hezbollah, showed buildings destroyed by the attack on the western side ofMount Qasioun atAl-Hamah, near Jamraya, in what appeared to be a chicken farm. Analysis byStoryful identified the location, which was a mile from theSyrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) facility at Jamraya where a31 January 2013 airstrike destroyed a convoy in the parking lot.[11] The same location was identified by Giuliano Ranieri.[12] The location is at33°33′49.3″N36°15′1″E / 33.563694°N 36.25028°E /33.563694; 36.25028. Storyful identified this location as the site of the largest explosion in the Jamraya and Qasioun area that night.[11] Al-Manar said the SSRC facility was not hit on this occasion[13] and Storyful also said there was no evidence of a strike at the SSRC facility.[11]
Syrian officials said that a paragliding airport in the Al-Dimas area of Damascus was also hit.[14]
TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air raids had killed at least 42 soldiers and another 100 were missing. Other opposition sources put the death toll at 300.[2] A doctor at Tishreen military hospital in north Damascus said that 100 soldiers were killed in the attack.[15]
Turkey -Turkish Prime MinisterTayyip Erdogan commented that attacking other countries was "unacceptable".[3]
Iran - TheIranian Minister of Foreign Affairs,Ali Akbar Salehi, warned of grave consequences for theMiddle East if the Assad government should fall.[16]
Lebanon - ThePresident of Lebanon,Michel Suleiman suggested that launching weapons at other sovereign states was breaking international law.[9][17]
Syria - On 7 May, Syrian PresidentBashar al-Assad characterized Israel's actions as "an act of terrorism".[16] Assad added that the airstrikes "revealed the extent" of the Israeli and Western involvement in the ongoing civil war. Assad also stated that the Syrian people and its army are prepared to confront Israeli, and other, ventures targeting Syria.
United Nations - UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon expressed "grave concern" over the airstrikes and appealed for restraint to avoid an escalation inSyrian civil war.[18]
United States -United States PresidentBarack Obama did not comment on the airstrike, but stated "The Israelis, justifiably, have to guard against the transfer of advanced weaponry to terrorist organizations like Hezbollah".[19]
United Kingdom -British Foreign SecretaryWilliam Hague commented that "All countries have to look after their own national security, of course, and are able to take actions to protect their own national security" and said that Israel has the right to defend itself.[20]
Israel - Israeli politicianTzachi Hanegbi made it clear that any action was against Hezbollah, not against the Assad government, without explicitly admitting Israel made the strikes.[2]
Egypt - Egypt'sPresidentMohammad Morsi's pointed out to Israel that attacking other countries was "increasing complexities".[21]
Russia - Russia expressed "deep concern" about the offensive and warned not to create an anti-Syrianmedia circus.[22]| Background | |
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| 2024 Iran–Israel conflict |
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| Iran–Israel war | |
| Hezbollah–Israel conflict |
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| Israeli–Palestinian conflict | |
| Gaza–Israel conflict |
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| Syrian civil war |
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| Red Sea crisis | |
| International incidents |
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| Nuclear program of Iran | |
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