Israel claims it destroyed as much as 80% of Assad’s regime's military capabilities

By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - The Israeli army alleged Tuesday that it had destroyed as much as 80% of the military capabilities of Bashar al-Assad's deposed regime.

Army operations "have been completed, with 70-80% of Assad's regime's military capabilities destroyed,” according to Israeli Army Radio, which indicated that “350 Israeli warplanes carried out strikes from Damascus to Tartus, targeting dozens of aircraft, helicopters, air defense systems, and ammunition depots.”

Regarding the incursion into southern Syria, the army said that "the operation is still ongoing on the ground, as part of our ground forces' actions in the buffer zone."

It noted that "it is working to establish control over the area" to destroy "weapons and ensuring they do not fall into undesirable hands."

Israeli Army Radio said the operation was named “Bashan Arrow,” citing a statement from the military,

"Bashan" is a biblical term referring to the lands south of Syria and east of Jordan.

The Israeli army has long drawn the names of its wars and combat operations from the religious text of the Torah.

Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights this week by seizing a UN-supervised demilitarized buffer zone, hours after the downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Assad fled Syria to Russia where he was given asylum after anti-regime groups captured the national capital of Damascus on Sunday, putting an end to the rule of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced shortly afterward the collapse of a UN-monitored disengagement agreement, which established a buffer zone between Israel and Syria.

The Israeli army took control of the mountain summit of Mount Hermon on the Syrian side of the border, and several other locations.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala