Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-35I “Adir” stealth fighter jets reportedly carried out a “successful” airstrike to destroy a “large convoy” of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)- Quds Force, or Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in Syria early on Thursday.
At-least four F-35Is of Israel Air Force flown from Nevatim carried-out the airstrike at a large convoy of IRGC-Quds Force on its way from AbuKamal to Aleppo in Syria.
“It is now confirmed that the F-35Is of Israel Air Force carried-out a very successful airstrike destroying a convoy of IRGC-Quds Force/Hezbollah/PMU on the way from Abu Kamal to Aleppo in Syria minutes ago. The jets flew over Jordan and Iraq again,” Babak Taghvaee, journalist and military aviation analyst, posted on his official Twitter account.
#BREAKING: It is now confirmed that the F-35Is of #Israel Air Force carried-out a very successful airstrike destroying a convoy of #IRGC-Quds Force/#Hezbollah/#PMU on the way from #AbuKamal to #Aleppo in #Syria minutes ago.F-35Is flew over #Jordan & #Iraq again. (Image by #IAF) pic.twitter.com/TlOdFBGDf1
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) February 19, 2020
There is however no official confirmation from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The F-35Is of the IAF are based at Nevatim Airbase in Israel’s Negev Desert.
A few months ago, Iran began setting up a large military base close to Abu Kamal (Al-Bukamal) border between Syria and Iraq. Satellite images released by ImageSat International (ISI) showed around five newly constructed buildings surrounded by large dirt mounds, and ten less fortified structures.
According to some reports, at least four F-35Is were involved in the attack. Citing sources from the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), Taghvaee added that neither the United States nor Russia was involved in the Israeli airstrike.
“Russian military sources have said that some IAF KC-707 tanker aircraft were spotted flying over Israel-Jordan border,” Taghvaee said. Israel currently has seven such aging planes in service.
The IAF’s fleet of Boeing 707s is equipped with a boom refueling system similar to the KC-135, which can be used to refuel fighter bombers such as F-15Is, F-16Is, and warplanes like F-35.
