Israel airstrike on Syria missed some Yakhont missiles, U.S. officials say

A recent Israeli airstrike on a weapons depot in Syria failed to destroy all the Russian-made anti-ship missiles stored there, American officials have said, adding that Israel will likely carry out further airstrikes, the New York Times reported on Thursday.

Israeli warplanes targeted a site near the Syrian port city of Latakia on July 5 where the Yakhont missiles were allegedly being kept.

Israeli media released on July 6 satellite imagery of the site of the strike showing a warehouse that appeared destroyed and a series of other storages that were targeted but not completely destroyed.

“American intelligence analysts have now concluded that at least some of the Yakhont missiles had been removed from their launchers and moved from the warehouse before the attack,” the New York Times reported.

Following the attack, the Syrian regime army set fire to launchers and vehicles at the targeted site to create the impression that they were destroyed, according to U.S. intelligence reports.

The reports said an Israeli plane “flew over the eastern Mediterranean, fired air-to-ground missiles and never entered Syrian airspace,” dismissing earlier previous reports that the attacks was carried out by a submarine.

Israel is keeping an eye on Syria’s strategic and advanced tactical weapons to make sure they do not go to Hezbollah.

In January Israeli aircrafts targeted a convoy of Russian-made SA-17 surface-to-air missiles that were believed destined for the Lebanese Shiite group.

Israel also targeted in May what was believed to be a shipment of Iranian-made Fateh-110 missiles that were transported to Hezbollah through Syria. The long-range missiles could strike Tel Aviv and much of Israel.