Arabic media: Israeli airstrikes on strategic T-4 airbase in Syria

Syrian state media and Arabic media have accused Israel of numerous strikes on the location and Syrian social media say this is the second airstrike in two days on the country. The other one, on September 1, was near Damascus. Russia’s Sputnik news said that sources described air defenses being activated over T-4, trying to stop airstrikes. Social media accounts claimed the strikes came from the south and asserted the fight path came over an area used by the US called Tanaf base.   

Monday’s airstrikes allegedly killed five members of pro-Iranian militias, including three non-Syrians. Rumors even indicated a high level Iranian officer was killed. Social media said it may have been IRGC Quds Force head Ismael Ghaani, who replaced Qasem Soleimani in January. Ghaani has been to Syria at least once. Iranian sources indicate he was not harmed and that anti-Syrian regime activists spread these rumors. 

On Wednesday night, regime sources told the press that only material losses took place at T-4. It was unclear how they knew this within a few minutes of the airstrikes and with no time at night to survey the damage. The T-4 base, also called Tiyas, is part of the key Iranian network in Syria that links Iran’s Albukamal Imam Ali base on the Iraqi border with sites at T-2 and T-3 on the road to Homs and Damascus. T-4 is the major strategic base in this part of the country. Iran has used it often.

In July, a Hezbollah member was killed in airstrikes in Syria. In January of 2019, former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot was quoted in the New York Times as saying Israel had struck more than 1,000 Iranian targets.