By G. Mudalige, Jadetimes Staff
G. Mudalige is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Technology & Innovation
Recent reports indicate that Israeli special forces conducted a raid on a Hezbollah missile production facility in Syria, specifically near the city of Masyaf. The Israeli government has not officially commented on this operation, but sources suggest it involved descending from helicopters, planting explosives, and gathering sensitive information from the site.
This facility, reportedly Iranian-built, was targeted to prevent the supply of precision missiles to Hezbollah. Air strikes were used to neutralize Syrian defenses and hinder reinforcements. It's also noted that this kind of ground operation is unusual, marking a significant departure from Israel's typical airstrike tactics in Syria.
According to US media, the elite Shaldag unit of the Israeli Air Force carried out the raid, and Israel informed the US in advance, receiving no resistance from the White House. The New York Times describes the operation as highly sophisticated, with air strikes facilitating the mission's success by disabling Syrian defensive capabilities.
Syria reported that at least 18 people were killed and several dozen injured during the attack. This incident adds to a series of Israeli air strikes in Syria, which have reportedly intensified since the war in Gaza began almost a year ago. The strikes are seen as part of Israel's ongoing efforts to disrupt Iranian and Hezbollah military activities in the region.
Monitoring groups, such as the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), have documented numerous Israeli strikes targeting Syria, resulting in significant casualties and damage to military infrastructure. Since the beginning of the year, Israeli air and artillery strikes have targeted Syrian territory on over 60 occasions, with at least 208 fighters, including Syrian government forces, Hezbollah members, and Iranian Revolutionary Guards, being killed in these operations.
The raid near Masyaf represents a more aggressive stance by Israel in its efforts to counter Iranian influence and Hezbollah's missile capabilities. By directly involving special forces in such operations, Israel signals its commitment to preventing advanced weaponry from reaching its adversaries.
