Reports have surfaced about a daring raid conducted by Israeli special forces targeting a Hezbollah missile production facility in Syria. The attack, which took place earlier this week, focused on a military installation near the city of Masyaf, located about 25 miles north of the Lebanese border. While Israel has not officially acknowledged the operation, various US media outlets, including The New York Times and Axios, have provided details, citing anonymous American and Israeli officials.
According to these reports, Israeli special forces descended from helicopters to infiltrate the facility, which was reportedly constructed by Iran to manufacture precision-guided missiles for Hezbollah, the militant group and Iran’s proxy in Lebanon. The Israeli forces planted explosives inside the facility and removed sensitive information before retreating. The ground raid was complemented by Israeli airstrikes, which were reportedly used to weaken Syrian air defenses and prevent reinforcements from reaching the site. US officials were informed ahead of time, and the raid was met with no resistance from Washington.
The operation resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, with dozens more injured, according to Syrian state media. However, reports suggest that no Iranian or Hezbollah militants were present at the time of the attack. The facility had been under Israeli surveillance for years and was designed to be resistant to airstrikes, which is why ground forces were deployed to ensure the destruction of the underground complex. This is one of the few instances in which Israeli troops were sent into Syrian territory, making the mission particularly unusual.
The missile production facility is tied to Iran’s broader efforts to supply Hezbollah with advanced weaponry. By locating the facility near the Lebanese border, Iran aimed to make the transfer of missiles to Hezbollah faster and less vulnerable to Israeli airstrikes. Israel has previously attacked the Masyaf site multiple times since 2017, but this operation involved both ground forces and airstrikes, highlighting the complexity of the target.
The Israeli government has long been concerned about Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria and its efforts to arm Hezbollah with precision-guided missiles capable of targeting Israel. Since the war in Gaza began last year, Israel has increased its military actions against both Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes have targeted more than 60 sites in Syria so far this year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which monitors the conflict in Syria. These strikes have caused considerable destruction, including damage to weapons depots and militia bases.
The SOHR also reported that over 200 fighters have been killed in Israeli strikes this year, including members of the Syrian government forces, Hezbollah fighters, and Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Civilian casualties have also occurred. The recent operation in Masyaf stands out due to the ground raid, which some analysts suggest could serve as a blueprint for future Israeli actions against heavily fortified targets, including facilities linked to Iran’s nuclear program.
This raid reflects Israel’s willingness to escalate military actions to thwart Iranian influence in Syria and its commitment to neutralizing threats posed by Hezbollah’s missile arsenal. It sends a message to Tehran that Israeli forces are prepared to go beyond airstrikes and employ special operations when necessary to eliminate high-value targets.
Map is used with permission from FreeWorldMaps.net, cropped from the original. The original map is available at: https://www.freeworldmaps.net/asia/syria/.