Middle East: U.S. Official Confirms Israeli Warplanes Strike Syrian Missile Site In Port City Of Latakia (Video)

By Jared Feldschreiber | Oct 31, 2013 05:06 PM EDT

Israeli warplanes struck a military base near the Syrian port city of Latakia, an Obama administration official told CNN. The target, according to the official, was a cache of missiles and related equipment suspected to be transferred to Hezbollah, the official said.

The attack has yet been confirmed by the Israeli government, news reports said.  

Al-Arabiya network reported that Israel attacked Syria twice on Wednesday night. Sources quoted by Al-Arabiya said that "in both attacks missile shipments were completely destroyed," according to YNET News.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported of a blast in an air defense bases in the same area, YNET News reported. 

A Syrian security official denied the reports.

"We in Latakia did not hear any blast. The media outlets that are the source of these reports may have dubious intentions that serve the interests of the enemies," said Syrian official Amar al-Assad in an interview with Arabic-language Russia Al-Youm.

It is common for Syria to "to transfer ground-air missiles to the hands of Hezbollah, [as] members have already trained in operating SA-8 anti-aircraft missiles with the Syrian air defense forces near Damascus," according to military analyst Ron Ben-Yishai, as reported by YNET News.

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