The Israel Defense Forces reported a commando operation that resulted in the destruction of an underground Iranian missile factory in Syria. The attack involved four heavy transport and two attack helicopters, 21 fighter jets, five drones and 14 spy planes.
Israeli commandos penetrated 200 kilometers into the territory in September 2024 Syria and destroyed an underground Iranian missile factory, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday. According to the Times of Israel website, the footage published by the army shows “one of the most daring special forces operations.”
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu he congratulated the commandos and said that the action proved the “determination and courage” of the soldiers and the army's ability to operate in any location, Reuters reported.
At the time of the operation, which was carried out by 120 commandos, the Assad regime was still in power in Syria and Israel had not yet launched a campaign in Lebanon against the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
According to the Israeli army, the factory, located under a mountain slope near the city of Masyaf, was a “flagship project” Iranwhich provided Hezbollah with weapons.
Iran began tunneling the factory in late 2017. In 2021, construction was completed and equipment of the plant began. At the time of the attack, the facility was on the verge of full production activity – missile engines were already being mass-produced, and test pieces of the missiles were also being produced.
Helicopters, fighter jets and drones engaged in the operation
According to the Israel Defense Forces, once fully operational, the underground factory could produce from 100 to 300 missiles a year, including missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers, precision guided missiles with a range of up to 130 km and short-range missiles up to 40-70 km – said an army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadaw Shoszani. The factory was located so deep that it was virtually impossible to destroy it by air attack, according to the Times of Israel.
The September action involved four heavy transport and two attack helicopters, 21 fighters, five drones and 14 spy planes. At a military airport in Israel, 30 planes were on standby in case an unforeseen intervention was needed.
The helicopters flew over the Mediterranean Sea, staying away from the coast of Lebanon, before returning to land in Syrian airspace. They flew extremely low to avoid Syrian radars and air defense systems.
Israeli troops on the border with SyriaATEF SAFADI/PAP/EPA
An underground factory blown up
At that time, the Masyaf area had very good air defense, only the capital of Syria, Damascus, had better. Moreover, Russian forces with their own air defense systems were also located on the coast.
The helicopters' flight from the coast to their target took 18 minutes, during which they were not detected, according to the Times of Israel. At the same time, fighter jets and drones began shelling both the area around the underground factory and other targets in Syria. The strikes were intended to both divert attention from approaching helicopters and confuse the Syrian military.
After landing, a fight broke out between Israeli commandos and Syrian guards of the underground factory. About 50 commandos entered it. They attached explosives to all key elements, the total weight of which reached 300 kg.
The charges were fired when the commandos were back in the helicopters. The underground explosion was not only visible, but also felt like a small earthquake.
About an hour later, hundreds of Syrian soldiers arrived at the factory, the Israeli army said. After the action, the Syrian media reported 14 dead and 43 wounded. On the Israeli side, no participants were killed or injured. According to the army, the underground facility is no longer used, and after the fall of the Assad regime ruling Syria, Iran largely withdrew from Syria – emphasized the Times of Israel website.
Main photo source: IDF