Israeli airstrikes target Syria's port city of Tartus

Israeli aircraft carried out airstrikes late Monday targeting the port city of Tartus in western Syria, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.

The agency reported that the strikes did not result in any casualties.

SANA said civil defense teams and specialized units are working to verify the exact locations of the strikes.

Earlier in the day, Israeli public broadcaster KAN spoke about initial reports of an Israeli attack on the port city.

Channel 14 reported that Israeli forces had launched an airstrike on unspecified sites in the coastal city, without providing additional details.

The channel also mentioned reports from local residents noting heavy Israeli aircraft activity over Syrian airspace.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it conducted airstrikes on a military site in the town of Al Qardaha in Latakia province in northwestern Syria, alleging that the site was used to store weapons belonging to the Bashar al-Assad regime.

“A short while ago, the Israeli army struck a military site where weapons belonging to the previous Syrian regime were stored in the area of Al Qardaha in Syria,” a military statement said.

The army added that “due to recent developments in the area, it was decided to strike military infrastructure at the site,” although no further details were provided.

The Israeli military said that it continues to “monitor developments in the area and will act as necessary in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel.”

Last Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israeli forces had also carried out airstrikes on Damascus, Syria's capital, warning that any attempt by Syrian forces to establish a presence in southern Syria's security zone would be met with military force.

“We will not endanger the security of our citizens,” he added, though without specifying the exact nature of the threats.

The Syrian government has repeatedly asserted that it does not pose a threat to the region.

Israel carried out airstrikes targeting several points in the countryside around Damascus and Daraa province in southern Syria that day.

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.

Israel also took advantage of the Syrian regime's fall to launch hundreds of airstrikes that targeted military sites and assets across Syria, including fighter jets, missile systems and air defense installations, according to reports.