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(A7) Israel succeeded in infiltrating a Syrian missile manufacturing facility, removing equipment and documents, and booby-trapping the facility, Greek researcher and analyst Eva J. Koulouriotis said, quoting a “security source.”
According to the source, Israeli forces “succeeded in entering a facility for missile manufacturing in Syria, taking a haul, and escaping after they destroyed it,” Koulouriotis wrote, noting that the facility is affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Israel did not respond to the report.
According to Koulouriotis, Israeli special forces carried out the operation at the military facility, which is located six kilometers southwest of Masyaf in western Syria. She noted that the operation began with airstrikes, and afterwards the Israeli ground forces entered the facility.
“The raid lasted approximately one hour, during which the forces entered the facility, took documents and other important equipment, and at the end, booby-trapped it from within, with explosives, and escaped after it was destroyed,” she added.
She stressed that the ballistic missiles and UAVs intended for both Hezbollah and the Syrian army are manufactured in the facility.
According to a Syria TV report, the attack included parachuting forces from the air, clashes, and the taking of prisoners. The report said that Israeli UAVs destroyed all of the Syrian security forces’ vehicles at the site, and cut off access to the location the forces were parachuted to.
It was also reported that three Syrians were killed in battles on the ground, more than 15 were injured, and two Iranians were taken prisoner. In addition, Syria’s security systems prevented rescue forces from reaching the area, and the dead and injured who were left at the scene were transferred to an unknown location.
The attack on the facility took place Sunday night, with parallel attacks in Syria’s Hama, Homs, Tartus, and Damascus areas. Some of the reports said that the attacks caused, among other things, damage to a “scientific research facility” near Masyaf, which was hit by missiles. In addition, military bases were also hit.
Al-Hadath reported that 15 missiles hit their targets in a series of strikes. According to reports, this was the “most violent Israeli attack in several years.
It is not clear that Israel is behind the attack, which Israel has neither commented on nor responded to.
In a tweet, Koulouriotis wrote, “This special operation in Syria is considered an important development in the recently escalating scene in the Middle East. It is certain that what happened in Masyaf will become more clear in detail as the days pass and may be an indication of the imminence of a new escalation, whether on the Syrian or Lebanese arena.”
