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Israel Intensifying Air War in Syria Against Iranian Encroachment
(Reuters) Suleiman Al-Khalidi - Israel has dramatically expanded air strikes on Iranian missile and weapons production centers in Syria, Western and regional intelligence sources say. "We are trying to hit targets with a strategic impact," said Brig.-Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, ex-head of the research wing of Israeli military intelligence. "We want to prevent Iran turning Syria into an Iranian base close to Israel that may bring a drastic strategic change in the situation....That's why we keep pounding Iranian bases so they don't take control of the country." A Syrian military source said, "There are fortifications underground that Israel cannot reach....You have warehouses dug into the mountains and equipped to be resistant even to bunker busters." Residents of Syria's eastern Deir al-Zor region said dozens of decoy rocket launchpads and deserted farm barracks with Iranian militia flags now dot main highways in efforts to divert Israel away from genuine targets. Israeli and Western officials said that if Israel had not escalated its air campaign, Iran would have carved out a strategic staging ground close to Israel's doorstep by now. "Had (Israel) not intervened, the situation could have been 10 times worse. The Iranians are paying an ongoing price with many weapons being destroyed. Of course it has an impact on their activities but it does not solve the problem," Kuperwasser said.