Israel Officials Admit to April Airbase Strikes on Syria

A crew member of U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman reacts after the takeoff of an F18 Hornet fighter jet from the flight deck of the ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea on May 8, 2018. The Harry S Truman carrier strike group on May 3, began air operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, conducting flight operations against ISIS targets in Syria. The strike group includes a guided-missile cruiser and four guided-missile destroyers. (Aris MESSINIS / AFP)

Israeli officials on Friday admitted responsibility for attacking a military airbase in Syria’s Homs province last month that left seven Iranian soldiers dead, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Friday.

According to the newspaper, the officials justified the strike by saying Iran had transferred surface-to-air missiles -- with a range of 110 kilometers -- to the airbase shortly before the attack.

Haaretz did not identify the Israeli officials with whom it had spoken.

The erosion of Iran’s long-range missile capacity comes as part of Israel’s ongoing effort to prevent Iran from acquiring a permanent military presence in Syria, according to Haaretz.

Late Thursday, Iranian officials condemned “repeated” Israeli airstrikes on positions inside Syrian territory.

“Repeated attacks on Syrian territory constitute a blatant violation of the country’s national sovereignty,” Iran’s Mehr news agency quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying.

Ghasemi went on to criticize the international community for “remaining silent in the face of Israel’s continued aggression, effectively condoning its aggressive policies”.

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This article has been adapted from its original source.