Israel destroys Syrian missile boats

10 December, 2024 Destroyed Project 205 missile boats. Source: ZiratNews. Israel has struck at the basing location of the missile boats of the Syrian Navy in the port of Latakia.

Israeli and Syrian news agencies published the relevant materials. According to local media reports, the Latakia port was struck on the night of December 9. The published footage shows six destroyed Soviet-made Project 205 Moskit missile boats.

Due to their condition, it is difficult to determine their modification accurately. In general, it is known that the USSR sold sixteen Project 205 Mosquito boats to Syria.

Israeli Airforce destroyed last night several Syrian navy vessels docked in Latakia. It looks like old OSA-2 Class missile boats. pic.twitter.com/p9XznxVau2

-- (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) December 10, 2024

One of them was sunk by the Israeli Navy on October 6, 1977, and two more were decommissioned in 1997. Open data shows that 13 boats remained in the Syrian fleet before the strike: three 205Es, five 205ERs, and the same number of 205Us. Analyzing satellite imagery over time, we can see that ten boats were based at the Latakia base, but it is worth noting that some of them could have been decommissioned.

In addition, as of December 2024, they could have changed their deployment port.

Rocket boats in Latakia. Source: Google Earth

It is unknown whether other boats that could have been based in Latakia as of December were affected by the strike, and the fate of the boats stationed in Tartus is also unknown. The Project 205 Moskit boats have long been the backbone of the Syrian Navy's combat force.

It also included a Project 150AE patrol ship, which could have been destroyed during the strike.

Destruction of the remains of Assad's arsenal

Militarnyi recently reported that a massive Israeli strike on the Mezzeh airbase in Damascus destroyed several helicopters and damaged elements of the air defense complex. The strike was carried out after control of the airbase was transferred to opposition forces. Israel has struck the airbase before, but this time, the attack was unprecedented in scale.

The images show the destroyed French-made Aerospatiale SA342 Gazelle helicopters.

Destroyed Aerospatiale SA342 Gazelle helicopters. Source: Bakr Alkasem/Anadolu.

At least two of the helicopters were completely destroyed, and two others sustained serious damage that rendered them unfit for further operation. The photo also shows a hangar with a damaged roof, which houses a machine that could be a launcher or a launcher and loader for the Buk air defense system.

A Buk surface-to-air missile system was hit.

Source: Anadolu

Israel is likely seeking to destroy the remaining weapons and equipment left over from the overthrow of the Assad regime to prevent their transfer to hostile forces.

In addition, these strikes may be aimed at minimizing the military capabilities of the future Syrian government, which could threaten Israel.