Israeli strike in Syria killed 10 North Koreans
Ten North Koreans may have been killed in an Israeli air strike on Syria in September, NHK reported on its Web site, citing unidentified South Korean intelligence officials.
The 10 people, whose remains were cremated and returned to North Korea in October, had been helping with the construction of a nuclear reactor in Syria, Japan”s public broadcaster said. Some North Koreans probably survived the air attack, NHK said.
The U.S. government last week accused North Korea of helping Syria build a secret nuclear reactor capable of producing plutonium.
The CIA released footage of the alleged reactor showing several North Koreans, including the head of the country”s nuclear negotiating team.
The Syrian facility was almost complete when it was attacked, and was far enough along to demonstrate a resemblance to the North Korean reactor at Yongbyon, which in the past has produced small amounts of plutonium and is supposedly now being dismantled, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.
In September 2007, the world speculated that Israel had hit a stockpile of North Korean nuclear weapons, hidden in Syria. At first, some said it was a training center for Palestinian groups based in Syria. Others said it was a warehouse of Iranian rockets which were on their way to Hezbollah in Lebanon . Some speculated the Israelis hit ballistic missiles recently obtained from Russia. Others said it was a facility for nuclear weapons, developed between Syria and North Korea. The North Koreans strongly objected to the accusations, and harshly condemned the Israeli attack on Syria. The Syrians claimed these accusations were fabricated by Washington for political reasons, mainly targeting Pyongyang rather than Damascus.