Media: Explosion rocks Syrian Tartus port amid suspected Israeli airstrike

A powerful explosion was reported on March 3 near the port city of Tartus, Syria, as unidentified aircraft, believed to be Israeli, flew overhead.

The Syrian official news agency SANA confirmed airstrikes were carried out by Israeli aircraft on the outskirts of Tartus, but no casualties have been reported as of yet, Caliber.Az reports.

Civil defence and specialist teams are on-site, working to verify the exact locations of the targets.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the UK, reported that the explosion took place at a military base near the port. Thick smoke was observed rising from the area following the blast.

The Observatory stated, “A strong explosion rocked the Tartus port as unidentified aircraft, likely Israeli, were seen flying overhead.”

Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria since the onset of the civil war in 2011, predominantly targeting Syrian government forces and Iranian-linked positions. Despite the fall of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad, Israeli strikes have continued against Syrian military sites.

On February 25, the Israeli military reported airstrikes on military facilities in southern Syria, which were said to contain weapons. This came shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the demilitarisation of the region.

In one of the strikes, at least two people were killed when Israeli aircraft targeted the headquarters of a military unit southwest of Damascus, according to the Syrian Observatory.

By Aghakazim Guliyev