Israel has launched a series of airstrikes targeting Syrian military factories and research centres near the city of Al-Safira east of Aleppo.
Eyewitness reports indicated that multiple explosions were heard in the area early Thursday morning damaging radar systems and missile battalions in the vicinity.
Syrian media described the attack as a significant escalation and confirmed that there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitoring group, reported at least seven "massive" aerial explosions at facilities in the area.
A resident of the Al-Safirah area told AFP on condition of anonymity: “They hit defence factories with five strikes. The strikes were very strong. It made the ground shake, doors and windows opened — the strongest strikes I ever heard… It turned the night into day.â€
The attack comes after a previous Israeli airstrike on the outskirts of Damascus killed 11 people on Sunday. War monitors said claimed the airstrike targeted a weapons depot that belonged to the Syrian army near the industrial town of Adra, northeast of the capital.
Since the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024, Israel has launched massive airstrikes across Syrian territory, with the aim of destroying any strategic weapons Syria has left.
SOHR noted that Israeli warplanes have executed 498 strikes in Syria since the regime's downfall. Israel has also launched a ground invasion of the demilitarised buffer zone separating the Golan Heights - Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 - from the rest of Syria.
The Israeli government has consistently tried to justify its actions as a move to neutralise Syria's military capabilities following Assad's flight to Russia.
This ongoing campaign has involved strikes in and around major cities like Damascus, Latakia, Homs, and Aleppo.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has claimed that the country intends to eliminate strategic heavy weapons throughout Syria, including ground-to-air missiles, air defence systems, surface-to-surface missiles, cruise missiles, long-range munitions, and naval missiles.
However, most of Syria's weapons systems are outdated and pose little threat to Israel.
In response to Israel’s attacks, Syria’s de-facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned Israel's increased military manoeuvres and airstrikes, arguing that there are no longer any justifications for external intervention in Syria.
Al-Sharaa, who heads the Islamist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group which led the rebel offensive against Assad, pointed out that Iran was no longer present in Syria, rendering foreign involvement unnecessary.
Al-Sharaa has insisted that Syria does not wish to get involved in any additional conflicts, expressing concern that Israeli actions have crossed established lines of engagement, potentially leading to an unwarranted escalation in the region.