The Iranian embassy in Damascus on Friday denied that its advisors stationed in Syria were targeted during Israel's September 9 raid in the city of Masyaf in Syria's central province of Hama, saying the Israeli allegations were lies.
“After 11 months of failing to achieve its goals in the Gaza war, the Zionist regime has reached a level of disappointment that it sees no way to save itself, but to kill the children and spread lies,” the embassy said.
The mission’s statement came days after Israel raided the Scientific Research Center and several military sites in Masyaf. Syria’s official news agency, SANA, said 18 people were killed in the operation and 37 others were wounded, including six people in critical condition.
But media reports said the Israeli raids destroyed a secret Hezbollah missile production facility near the Lebanese border.
Israel Briefed US
The Axios website quoted on Friday two sources as saying Israel briefed the Biden administration in advance of the sensitive operation and the US didn't oppose it. The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.
Also, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios the Iranians began building the underground facility in coordination with Hezbollah and Syria in 2018 because it would be impenetrable to Israeli air strikes.
Local residents said a state of tension prevails in the region where people feel they are “victims of battles they have nothing to do with.”
The residents recorded the sound of helicopters flying over Masyaf that night for more than an hour, without being intercepted by the forces deployed in the area.
Local media outlets on Friday broadcasted images of young volunteers from the area who said they were removing rubble from sites hit by the Israeli attack, one of the most lethal in Syria in recent months.
SOHR Version
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted on Friday seven reliable sources, including civilians and combatants who confronted the Israeli raid, as saying that the accurate and compound operation in Masyaf targeted the “Heer Abbas” site which houses a factory for manufacturing and developing medium-range missiles.
The factory had been constructed and supervised by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, it said.
Before commandoes descended, Israeli forces carried out a series of intensive airstrikes, targeting vital sites in the region.
“Nearly five helicopters participated in the airdrop, where they flew at low altitude. A helicopter heading the squadron was equipped with a strong projector,” the Observatory said.
Several drones and fighter jets participated in the operation, according to SOHR. It said regime air-defenses managed to shoot down a drone in Banyas on the Syrian coastline.
Shortly before the airdrop, the Observatory said Israeli forces launched intensive airstrikes against vital sites in the region. The forces used electronic warfare jamming systems which facilitated the airdrop of around 100 Israeli special forces.
Later, the Israeli soldiers who participated in the airdrop clashed for over three hours with local forces and civilians. Residents in surrounding areas clearly heard the gunfire.
SOHR said the Israeli soldiers managed to destroy the factory. The sources could not verify if the Israeli forces took important and secret documents from the “Heer Abbas” site. However, the sources confirmed that no Iranian-backed militias were captured during the Israeli operation.
27 People Killed
According to SOHR sources, the Israeli raid left 27 people dead and at least 32 others injured. Some of the bodies were dismembered, while others were charred, it said.
