Israel has attacked locations in Syria where chemical weapons and long-range missiles are believed to be stored, aiming to prevent them from falling into the hands of adversaries, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said today, as reported by the Associated Press.

“Our only interest is the security of Israel and its citizens,” Saar told reporters. “That’s why we attacked strategic weapon systems like chemical weapons stockpiles and long-range missiles, to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists,” he added.

Syrian rebels reached the capital, Damascus, over the weekend and toppled President Bashar al-Assad’s government after nearly 14 years of civil war. This has revived hopes for a more peaceful future, but also sparked concerns about a potential security vacuum in the country, which is still divided among several armed groups, the AP noted.

An AP journalist in Damascus reported that airstrikes were carried out yesterday near the Mezzeh military airport southwest of the capital. The airport had previously been targeted by Israeli bombings, but there is no information yet on who carried out the recent attack. Saar did not provide details on when or where the Israeli strikes took place.

In recent years, Israel has bombed Syria hundreds of times, claiming that its targets were military sites linked to Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which were close allies of Assad. However, Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes, the AP noted.

Syria agreed to give up its chemical weapons stockpiles in 2013 after the government was accused of carrying out an attack near Damascus that killed hundreds of people. However, it is widely believed that Syria has retained some of these weapons and has been accused of using them again in the years that followed.

Saar also said that the presence of Israeli forces in Syria is a “limited and temporary measure” aimed at ensuring Israel’s security following the fall of Assad’s regime.

Regarding stalled negotiations with Hamas over the release of hostages in Gaza, the Israeli foreign minister said that indirect talks are ongoing but did not provide details. He stated that Israel may be more optimistic about a potential breakthrough but has not yet achieved one./BTA