Rumors that Israel Attacked Syria Again on July 5

July 14, 2013 • 12:28PM

On July 5, a series of explosions rocked a warehouse in Latakia, Syria, immediately leading to speculation that Israel had launched what would be its fourth attack on Syria. At the time, that speculation was apparently confined to the Arab press, while both the Syrian government and Hezbollah in Lebanon blamed the explosions on an attack by armed opposition groups. However, on July 12, unidentified US officials allegedly told CNN that Israeli warplanes had carried out the attack in Latakia, targeting advanced Russian-made "Yakhont" anti-ship missiles that were stored there. This explosive CNN story was immediately picked up and run worldwide, but later, CNN took the story off its website.

Another unidentified US official told ABC News that it was unclear what kinds of weapons Israel was attacking.

Israel has, as always, refused comment. When Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon was asked about the attack earlier this week, he said, "There is an attack here, an explosion there, various versions; in any event, in the Middle East it is usually we who are blamed." A former Israeli defense official told Reuters that Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles were, in fact, kept at the Latakia base.

Israel tried to justify its earlier strikes against Syria by saying that they were not directed against Syria, but intended to stop shipment of advanced weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon.