Syrian TV, a media outlet broadcasting from Turkey, claimed that Israeli commandos were deployed during the strikes to gather intelligence and clashed with Syrian forces, even capturing Iranian agents.
The report states that the attack, which consisted of five waves over several hours, saw Israeli helicopters inserting commandos under heavy air cover. These special forces allegedly engaged in a brief but intense firefight with Syrian troops on the ground.
Sayeret Matkal—the IDF’s principal Sayeret unit, similar to the British Special Air Service and the US Army’s Delta Force—is used mainly to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines and has been known to operate within the Middle East.
In addition, Israeli aircraft reportedly carried out aerial strikes to block off all roads leading to the site.
Reports suggest that the commandos successfully extracted two Iranians from the area, although it’s unclear whether they were taken willingly or by force.
The possibility of Israeli troops landing to gather samples or evidence from the area is not something new, given past instances where Israel retrieved critical physical evidence from Syrian territory through such operations.
A series of alleged Israeli strikes hit military sites in central Syria late Sunday, killing at least 14 people, wounding 43 and sparking fires. Local Syrian media reported at the time that the strikes hit a scientific research center in Masyaf, which has long been associated with the manufacture of chemical weapons and precision missiles by the Syrian regime and Iranian forces.
The opposition Syria TV network says that Israeli helicopters did not land on Syrian soil, but instead hovered as special forces rappelled down ropes. The report says there were violent clashes in which many Syrians were killed, and two to four Iranians were captured.
The outlet additionally says that a Russian communications center was among the sites targeted as part of the operation.
It contains the Scientific Studies and Research Center, known as CERS or SSRC, which according to Israel is used by Iranian forces to manufacture precision surface-to-surface missiles.
Western officials have long associated CERS with the manufacture of chemical arms. According to the United States, sarin gas has been developed at that center, a charge denied by the Syrian authorities.
There was no immediate comment on the strike from Israel, which rarely acknowledges individual operations in Syria.
Channel 12 news cites researcher Eva J. Koulouriotis, who says she was told by a “security source” that it was an IDF operation against an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility for the development of ballistic missiles and drones, and which also provides logistical support to Hezbollah.
Koulouriotis tweets that roads surrounding the facility were targeted with airstrikes to stop Syrian troops from reaching the area before the Israeli helicopters carrying special forces approached the area with air support from combat helicopters and drones.
She says that Israeli troops entered the compound, removed equipment and documents, and then laid explosives to destroy the facility.
The US-government-owned Al Hurra network reports that the “raid” targeted several sites in the Masyaf area and that their intensity and the death toll were “unusual.”
The Masyaf area, west of Hama, is thought to be used as a base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias and has been repeatedly targeted in recent years in attacks widely attributed to Israel.
© 2024, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
