₦airaland Forum

Israeli forces carried out a special operation in Syria's Hama last week, infiltrating an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) facility near Masyaf, the Turkey-based opposition Syria TV reported on Thursday, citing exclusive sources.

The operation reportedly involved Israeli aircraft targeting roads leading to the facility, with soldiers descending from helicopters on ropes, according to the report.

There were violent clashes during the operation, in which three Syrians were killed, and two to four Iranians were captured, the report said, without elaborating on what happened to the Iranians.

The report also said that a Russian communications centre was among the sites targeted by the operation.

The Syrian regime has established a high-level commission inquiry into the incident, the report said.

Late on Sunday, Israeli strikes hit military sites in central Syria, killing at least 14 people and wounding dozens more.

The report by Syria TV said Syrian security forces had obstructed rescue teams from reaching the targeted area, adding that injured military personnel were transferred to an undisclosed location and their fate remains unknown.

Injured civilians were transferred to Masyaf Hospital.

It said that a camera crew from Syria TV had managed to capture footage of the aftermath of the operation, showing destruction and damage inflicted on the area.

One of the sites on the road between Masyaf and Wadi al-Oyoun was reportedly "completely wiped out" by the attack, with explosions so powerful that roads were blocked for about two hours, forcing Syrian security forces to reach the site on foot.

Syrian media outlets at the time reported that the strike had hit a scientific research centre in Masyaf, which was long associated with the manufacturing of chemical weapons and missiles by the Syrian government and Iranian forces.

However, Syria TV's report was the first to claim that Israeli forces had operated on the ground during the attack on Masyaf, which is located some 200 kilometres (124 miles) north of Israel.

Israeli media on Thursday reported that a special operation was carried out by Israeli forces in Syria last week, during which Israeli commandos raided an IRGC missile facility, and took equipment and documents.

They cited comments by Middle East analyst Eva Koulouriotis, who said on X that security sources had informed her of a special operation carried out by Israeli forces in Syria.

She said Israeli troops entered the compound, removed equipment and documents, and then laid explosives to destroy the facility.

Israel has vowed to stop Iran from establishing a strong military presence in Syria, where thousands of fighters backed by Tehran are stationed. Syria serves as a crucial corridor for Iran to transport weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since the war in Gaza started in October last year, Israel has carried out 76 airstrikes in different parts of the country.

It said 287 Iranian-linked fighters and Syrian troops and 27 civilians, including two children, were killed in the strikes.

madridguy: