Israeli special forces reportedly conducted a high-risk raid on an Iranian-backed missile production facility in Syria’s Masyaf region earlier this week, according to various unconfirmed reports. The operation, said to have involved elite Israeli troops descending from helicopters, targeted a facility associated with Hezbollah and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
According to US and Israeli media, the raid aimed to destroy an underground complex believed to be producing precision missiles and other weapons. The Israeli government has not officially commented on the operation, which allegedly occurred on Monday near Masyaf, approximately 25 miles from the Lebanese border. Syrian state media reported that 18 people were killed and several dozen wounded in the attack, with fires breaking out in the aftermath.
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Reports in the New York Times and Axios indicated that Israeli forces neutralized Syrian air defenses, preventing reinforcements from reaching the site. The Axios report also mentioned that the Shaldag unit of the Israeli Air Force executed the raid, which involved extracting sensitive materials and deploying explosives to destroy the facility.
Opposition sources from the Syria TV network said Israeli helicopters hovered overhead while special forces rappelled into the area, reportedly engaging in violent clashes that resulted in the deaths of three Syrian soldiers and the capture of several Iranian operatives. The network also claimed that a Russian communications center was among the targets.
The facility in Masyaf has long been linked to the manufacture of chemical weapons and missiles for the Syrian regime and Iranian forces. The raid appears to be part of a broader Israeli strategy to prevent Iran from supplying advanced weaponry to Hezbollah. Since the beginning of the war in Gaza on October 7, Israel has intensified its strikes against Iranian-linked targets in Syria, aiming to thwart any threats from Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies operating in the region.