Israeli airstrikes have reportedly targeted a scientific research center in Damascus, Syria, causing significant destruction, according to local media reports. The facility struck is believed to be the Barzah Scientific Research Facility, also known as Institute 2000, which has previously been linked to Syria’s chemical weapons program by the United States.
The Barzah center was a key target in a 2018 joint military operation by the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, which sought to disrupt Syria’s alleged chemical weapons capabilities. This was part of a broader series of military actions following reports of chemical attacks in Syria. However, inspections by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in 2017 found no evidence of prohibited chemicals at the Barzah facility, nor any violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention by Syria.
In addition to the Damascus strike, reports indicate that the outskirts of the city of Hama were also targeted during the Israeli offensive, although details on casualties and further damage remain unclear at this stage. The Israeli government has not officially commented on the airstrikes, but these attacks align with Israel’s longstanding policy of targeting facilities in Syria it believes to be linked to Iranian or Hezbollah operations.
