Watch: Israel Targets Syria With 'Earthquake Bomb', Explosion Gets 'Registered on Richter Scale

New Delhi, India: Israel launched a series of airstrikes late Sunday in Syria's coastal Tartus region, marking the most intense bombardment in the area since 2012, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 

The strikes targeted key military installations, including air defence units and a surface-to-surface missile warehouse, causing multiple large explosions, some of which were captured on video.

The Syrian Observatory confirmed that the strikes severely damaged the base of the 23rd Air Defence Brigade, along with nearby facilities used for storing advanced weaponry. 

"The heaviest strikes in Syria's coastal region since the start of strikes in 2012," the Observatory reported.

Israel has consistently carried out airstrikes in Syria, primarily to prevent the transfer of advanced weaponry to groups like Hezbollah, which are seen as hostile to Israeli security. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the airstrikes were aimed at neutralizing security threats and ensuring stability along Israel's northern border. 

"We have no interest in a conflict with Syria," Netanyahu said. “Our actions are focused on thwarting potential threats from Syria and preventing terrorist elements from taking control near our border.”

The explosion at the ammunition depot in Tartus was so powerful that it registered on a magnetometer station in Iznik, Turkey, 820 kilometers away, according to a post on social media by an independent researcher. Richard Cordaro, an expert in regional security, further noted that the explosion was significant enough to be detected on the Richter scale.

Syria’s response to the strikes was swift. Ahmad al-Sharaa, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the de facto ruler of Syria following the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad, condemned the Israeli airstrikes as "unprovoked aggression." 

However, al-Sharaa added that Syria remained focused on reconstruction and was keen to avoid further military confrontations.

The Israeli strikes come amid the ongoing volatility in Syria, which has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since 2011. The conflict has claimed over 500,000 lives and displaced millions, leaving the country deeply fragmented and vulnerable to external intervention.

Israel’s recent actions in Syria also align with its broader strategy to consolidate control over the Golan Heights, a region it captured from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed in 1981. 

Netanyahu's government recently approved an $11 million plan to double the Israeli population in the Golan, a move that has been widely condemned by Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.