Israeli forces target hezbollah-linked missile facility in Syria's Masyaf

Jerusalem (The Uttam Hindu): In a rare acknowledgment of its operations in Syria Israel's military confirmed that approximately 100 Israeli troops carried out a raid in September 2023 to dismantle an underground missile factory allegedly funded by Iran. The operation which took place on September 8 targeted and destroyed a facility in the Masyaf area located near Syria's Mediterranean coast. Israel's military claimed the compound housed advanced assembly lines for precision-guided missiles and long-range rockets which could have significantly strengthened the arsenal of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups in the region.

The raid was a coordinated effort involving helicopters drones for intelligence fighter jets and naval vessels. During the operation the Israeli forces destroyed the facility, seizing weapons equipment and intelligence documents for further analysis. No Israeli casualties were reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the raid led to at least 27 fatalities. Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011 Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in the country often targeting Iranian-linked sites and weapon shipments intended for Hezbollah. In December Israel's military made headlines again by entering a United Nations-monitored buffer zone in the Golan Heights seizing Syrian territory a move that prompted international condemnation. However Israel described the action as a temporary and defensive measure.