On December 14, 2024, Israeli warplanes executed approximately 40 airstrikes targeting military sites around Damascus, Syria. According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, these attacks resulted in the destruction of various military facilities belonging to the Syrian army under Bashar al-Assad's regime, as well as a research center located north of Damascus.
Twenty-eight of the strikes were concentrated in the Kalamun region, situated about 90 kilometers east of the capital. The Israeli Air Force reported the destruction of a weapons and ammunition depot, a military airport, and several underground tunnels as part of the operation.
Israel has intensified its airstrikes in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, following the takeover of the region by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group. The Israeli government claims that only military facilities are targeted in these operations.
Meanwhile, the fate of Russian bases in Syria, a key ally of the Assad regime, remains uncertain. Reports indicate heightened activity at the Hmeymim airbase in the western port city of Latakia on the same day. A Russian cargo plane was seen taking off towards Libya, while another cargo plane and a helicopter landed at the base.
Additionally, a group of helicopters was reported to be flying within the base, and a SU-34 fighter jet landed for refueling. A zeppelin was also observed flying over the facility, along with two trucks bearing the Russian flag moving within the base. A security officer stationed outside the base indicated that Russian aircraft would continue to take off from Hmeymim in the coming days.
Satellite images obtained on Friday revealed that Russia has been transporting some military equipment from the base via cargo planes. Moscow aims to persuade the new Syrian administration to allow continued use of the Hmeymim base and the naval facility in Tartus, both of which are strategically significant as Russia's gateway to the Mediterranean. A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday noted that discussions between the Kremlin and HTS are ongoing in a 'constructive manner.'