War Drums: Israel bombs Syria for a second time

Israel knows what a red line means. Barack Obama, not so much...

BEIRUT (WaPo) — Israeli warplanes bombed the outskirts of Damascus early Sunday morning for the second time in two days, according to Syrian state media and reports from activists, signaling a sharp escalation in tensions between the neighboring countries that had already been exacerbated by the conflict raging inside Syria.

Videos posted on the Internet by activists showed a huge fireball erupting on Mount Qassioun, a landmark hill overlooking the capital on which the Syrian government has concentrated much of the firepower it is using against rebel-controlled areas surrounding the city.

The official Syrian news agency SANA said that a scientific research facility had been struck by an Israeli missile, and a banner displayed on state television said the attack was intended to relieve pressure on rebel forces in the embattled eastern suburbs. The banner was accompanied by martial music and footage of Syrian soldiers marching, descending from helicopters and firing rockets, indicating that Syria may not shrug off the assault as it has with some Israeli strikes in the past.

A subsequent video suggested further strikes were taking place in the same location, though the number was unclear.