JERUSALEM: Israel’s military said on Thursday its special forces had raided an underground missile production site in Syria in September, which it said was primed to produce “hundreds of precision missiles” for use against Israel “by Hezbollah”.

The complex near Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast, was “the flagship of Iranian manufacturing efforts in our region”, Lt Col Nadav Shoshani told a briefing with reporters.

“This facility was designed to manufacture hundreds of strategic missiles per year from start to finish, for Hezbollah to use in their aerial attacks on Israel.”

He said the plant, dug into a mountainside, had been under observation by Israel since construction began in 2017 and was on the point of being able to manufacture precision-guided missiles, some with a range of up to 300 km. “This ability was becoming active, so we’re talking about an immediate threat,” he said.

Complex operation

Shoshani said the nighttime raid was “one of the more complex operations the IDF has done in recent years”. Accompanied by air strikes, it involved dozens of aircraft and around 100 helicopter-borne troops, he said.

“At the end of the raid, the troops dismantled the facility, including the machines and the manufacturing equipment, themselves,” he said.

The military released footage showing Israeli troops boarding and dismounting from helicopters and moving through what appears to be a concrete-lined tunnel and industrial site, where they examine documents.

Other footage showed senior commanders at a control centre, apparently as the operation proceeds.

At the time, Syrian media said 16 people were killed in Israeli air strikes in the west of the country.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2025