Israeli airstrikes target Latakia following arrival of Iranian ships

Shafaq News/ Loud explosions were heard early Tuesday in Latakia, northwestern Syria, amid reports of Israeli airstrikes targeting the city's port.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed the sound of two explosions in northern Syria on the outskirts of the city of Baniyas.

According to Al Arabiya Al Hadath, Israeli media reported that the airstrikes on Latakia coincided with the arrival of two Iranian ships at the port of Latakia. Additionally, they reported that an air defense system belonging to Iranian armed faction on the Baniyas coast was targeted.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting Iranian assets and Hezbollah forces backed by Iran, including warehouses, weapon shipments, and military sites. However, the frequency of strikes and shelling has increased since the onset of the war in Gaza in October and the subsequent escalation of regional tensions.