Israel strikes and advances into Syrian territory after Assad's overthrow, fueling alarm
While Syria celebrates overthrowing its longtime dictator, it is also being subjected to a new ground incursion and a wave of airstrikes from its neighbor Israel that drew growing international condemnation and concern Tuesday.
While Syria celebrates overthrowing its longtime dictator, it is also being subjected to a new ground incursion and a wave of airstrikes from its neighbor Israel that drew growing international condemnation and concern Tuesday.
Explosions rocked Damascus overnight, smoke billowed from a research center north of the capital, and destroyed naval ships sat in the western port of Latakia — all while Israeli ground forces moved into Syrian territory.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that he had ordered the military to establish a “sterile defense zone" in southern Syria as Israeli forces seize control of the demilitarized, U.N.-patrolled buffer zone, established under a 1974 ceasefire agreement.
Israel says its airstrikes and actions on the ground are aimed at preventing Assad's arsenal of rockets and chemical weapons from falling into the hands of extremists who could threaten its borders or people.
But its advance has raised alarm when the international community is already nervous about further instability as Syria navigates its transition away from 53 years of Assad rule. Arab powers condemned the incursion Tuesday, accusing Israel of violating international law and exploiting the chaos in Syria.
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