The Israeli Army reported on Thursday (2) that its special forces raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September that was prepared to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use against Israel by Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The complex near Masyaf, near the Mediterranean coast, was “the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region,” Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters.
“This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year, from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in its airstrikes against Israel,” Nadav said.
The lieutenant colonel also said that the factory, carved into the side of a mountain, had been under observation since construction began in 2017, and was on the verge of being able to manufacture precision-guided missiles, some with ranges of up to 300 km. .
“This capability was becoming active, so we are talking about an immediate threat,” he added.
Details of the September 8 attack were reported by Israeli media, but Shoshani said this was the first confirmation from the military, which rarely comments.
At the time, Syrian state media said that at least 16 people had been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the west of the country.
Shoshani said the night attack was “one of the most complex operations Israeli forces have carried out in recent years.” Accompanied by airstrikes, it involved dozens of aircraft and about 100 troops transported by helicopters, he said.
“At the end of the attack, troops dismantled the facilities, including machinery and manufacturing equipment,” he added.
The released images showing Israeli troops boarding and disembarking from helicopters and moving through what appears to be a concrete-lined tunnel and an industrial site, where they examine documents.
Other images show senior commanders in a control center, apparently as the operation continues.
Israeli officials have accused the former Syrian government of President Bahar al-Assad of helping Hezbollah receive weapons from Iran and say they are determined to stop the flow of arms to Lebanon.
With the fall of the Assad government late last year, Israel launched a series of attacks against Syrian military infrastructure and weapons manufacturing sites to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.
