Israel Strike Syrian Anti-Aircraft Battery After Attack

Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian government anti-aircraft missile launcher on Monday after it reportedly opened fire at Israeli jets that were flying a reconnaissance mission over Lebanon, Reuters reported.

The anti-aircraft battery missed its target and no Israeli warplane was struck by the attack. The missile launcher, located 30 miles (50km) east of Damascus, was then hit two hours later by Israeli jets. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

It is common for Israeli warplanes to violate Lebanese airspace but this is the first time since the start of the war that Syria has targeted Israeli aircraft flying over Lebanon.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement after the incident saying that Israel would not hesitate to defend itself.

The incident coincides with the visit of Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu to Israel on Monday.

US-backed Forces Say Raqqa Captured From ISIS

U.S.-backed forces said they had recaptured Raqqa from the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) on Tuesday. “The military operation is over,” said Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Talal Salo, according to The New York Times.

Fighters of the American-backed alliance were seen celebrating and cheering in the streets of ISIS’s self-proclaimed capital in Syria.

However, the United States Central Command said that only “more than 90 percent of Raqqa is in S.D.F. control,” the New York Times reported.

The comes after a final push against some 300 militants who remained holed up in the city, as Agence France-Presse reported on Monday. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had recaptured the Al-Naim roundabout in central Raqqa, which jihadists used for public beheadings and crucifixions, AFP said.

The SDF has been battling ISIS in Raqqa since June. Most of the remaining militants were believed to be foreign fighters.

Government Forces Launch Fresh Push Against ISIS in Deir Ezzor

Pro-government forces launched an offensive against remaining ISIS-held neighborhoods in the provincial capital of Deir Ezzor on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported.

The monitoring group said that Syrian troops and allied forces are pushing through the al-Sina’a and al-Ommal neighborhoods under the cover of Russian warplanes.

Clashes also broke out opposite Deir Ezzor city, on the eastern banks of the Euphrates River. The SOHR said that pro-government forces are advancing in the villages of Hatla, al-Husseiniya and al-Salihiyah in an attempt to enforce a siege on ISIS militants in Deir Ezzor city.

The move by government forces comes just two days after the Syrian government announced the capture of the ISIS stronghold of al-Mayadeen, south of the provincial capital.

Recommended Reads

• The New York Times: Democracy Is Possible in Syria. My Friend Knew How.
• Voice of America: What Is Turkey Up to in Syria?
• The Wall Street Journal: Syrian City With Two Regimes Awaits Day of Reckoning
• Foreign Affairs: Keeping Out of Syria
• NBC: Trump Admin. Makes Gains on ISIS, but Lack of Syria Policy Raises Concern