According to reports, the Israeli warplanes flew over mainly Hezbollah’s supporters dominated southern region of Lebanon on Friday, two days after an airstrike near Damascus. Reportedly, the strike targeted a convoy carrying anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, perhaps, the closest militant group to Iran and Syria in the region. According to sources, the convoy was about to send SA-17 anti-Aircraft missile which is highly sophisticated and can affect the strategic equation in the region if reached out arch-foe of Israel, Hezbollah of Lebanon.
However, the Israeli officials have not made any comments regarding overflew of their warplanes on Lebanon and airstrike inside Syria, but previously they have said that due to deterioration of security situation they closely watch out the shift of chemical weapons and armaments possible delivered to Hezbollah. In response to Wednesday’s raid, Syria also harshly condemned the attack while rejecting the report that targeted was a military base not a Lebanon bound convoy. A top Syrian General, Mr. Ali Abdullah Ayoub, was quoted by Al-Baath newspaper as saying: “Syria will never change its stance, no matter how much the enemy carries out provocative and hostile acts”.
Russian government a close ally to President Bashar al-Assad regime and several Arab countries have condemned the attack. Its foreign ministry on Thursday January 31, 2013 has stated that it was investigating about the incident and if its authenticity was approved, it would severely condemn it. Tehran another strategic supporter of the Damascus has also threatened retaliation.
Certainly, the air raid made the regional uncertain environment of animosity a degree hotter. Syria bluntly linked the armed opposition to Israeli government. Gen. Ayoub has said: “battle with the Zionist enemy continues and did not stop.” He said rebel gunmen fighting against his troops are “tools of the Zionist entity.” Israel and Syria have been bitter enemies for six decades. “We know our capabilities and readiness to use all these capabilities at the suitable time,” Ayoub said. “Those who think they can test our armed forces are mistaken”, he added.
No doubt, opposition supporter regional and international supporters as well as Israel are worried about the destiny of chemical weapons. Falling of those weapons to hands of militant groups like Al-Nusra and Al-Qaeda can prove highly detrimental to western countries interest in the region. but meanwhile if the peaceful transition take place, all engaged countries should accept such possibility because in lack of a central government, the possibility of discrimination of chemical weapons is too high as witnessed in the case of Libya.