Israeli jets strike convoy along Syrian border By Barbara Starr, Sara Sidner and David Ariosto, CNN updated 3:34 PM EST, Wed January 30, 2013
- Israeli fighter jets struck overnight a suspected Syrian convoy along the Lebanese-Syrian border believed to be moving weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, a senior U.S. official said Wednesday.
Fighter jets struck the vehicles because they were carrying SA-17 missile parts, a Russian-made medium-range delivery system, and equipment that could have been employed in an attack against Israel, another source told CNN.
But Damascus said the strike had instead targeted a research facility near the Syrian capital.
"Israeli warplanes penetrated our airspace at dawn today and directly bombed one of the scientific research centers responsible for raising the level of resistance and self-defense in the area of Jimraya in the Damascus countryside," the military said in a statement aired on state-run television. "This comes after multiple failed attempts over months by terrorist groups to enter and seize the mentioned site."
A former high ranking Israeli Intelligence official told CNN that Hezbollah likely wants to take hold of all the weapons it can in the event that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is forced to flee. Should al-Assad ultimately decide to leave, he may choose to further arm Hezbollah ahead of time so that militants could better attack Israel, the official said.
In recent years, Syria transferred Scud missiles to Hezbollah, which are capable of carrying chemical weapon warheads. But the senior U.S. official said American authorities do not believe the airstrike was linked to growing concerns about chemical weapons.
"We see no nexus," the official said Wednesday. The strike is thought to have hit a "target of opportunity," he said.
"Whether it was an attack against a supply convoy or a terrorist leader, it's not particularly surprising," senior Brookings fellow Michael O'Hanlon said. "At first glance, it likely won't be seen as a large escalation. Though there's still a possibility for retaliation."
Israeli military and government officials declined to comment about the strike.
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