West Asia turmoil: Israeli airstrikes target missile warehouses in Syria

Jerusalem: A UK-based war monitor says Israeli airstrikes early Monday hit missile warehouses in Syria and called it the “most violent strikes” since 2012.

Israel has been pounding what it says are military sites in Syria after the dramatic collapse of President Bashar Assad’s rule, wiping out air defences and most of

the arsenal of the

former Syrian army. Israeli troops have also seized a border buffer zone, sparking condemnation, with critics accusing Israel of violating the 1974 ceasefire and possiwbly exploiting the chaos in Syria for a land grab.

The Assad family’s rule, which lasted more than half a century, collapsed just over a week ago following a stunning rebel advance. This has renewed fears of regional instability as the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza shows no signs of halting and hostilities between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah continue despite a ceasefire.

The new Syrian administration, led by the former insurgents who toppled Assad, has complained to the UN Security Council about the Israeli bombardment and incursions into Syrian territory in the Golan Heights.

However, it has also said it does not want a military confrontation with Israel.