Israeli air strikes hit Syria as rebels oust President Bashar al-Assad

Israel mounted a series of air strikes in Syria on Sunday, including the capital Damascus, the first since rebels ended Assad’s rule and forced him to flee, a monitoring group reported.

Israeli warplanes targeted military depots in the vicinity of a scientific centre near Damascus and an army outpost in the countryside of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli aerial bombardment targeted the area of the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus and an unspecified target near the city, said the UK-based monitor that relies on a network of sources inside Syria.

Israeli warplanes also targeted several sites in the Daraa and Quneitra provinces in southern Syria, according to the observatory. No casualties were reported.

The Israeli Air Force had earlier attacked a chemical weapons factory in Syria according to media reports. The Jerusalem Post reported that the attack was motivated by concerns that weapons developed during Assad’s reign could fall into the hands of rebels.

China’s foreign ministry said on Sunday it hopes Syria “returns to stability as soon as possible”.