Israeli commandos dropped into Syria from helicopters on Sunday and conducted a raid against an alleged missile production site, The New York Times reported on Thursday, citing US and other Western officials.
Syrian media reported heavy Israeli airstrikes in Syria on Sunday, which is when the officials said the raid occurred. Syria’s news agency SANA reported 18 people were killed in the strikes, while a pro-opposition war monitor put the death toll at 25.
The sources speaking to the Times said airstrikes were involved in the attack on the Scientific Studies and Research Center near Maysaf, Syria. They claimed Israeli troops entered the alleged missile production facility, obtained information from the site, and destroyed it.
Axios reported that the Biden administration was briefed on the plan before the raid and did not oppose it. Sources claimed to Axios that the facility was built by Iran in coordination with Hezbollah and Syria.
Israel has not publicly acknowledged the raid, reportedly because it doesn’t want to provoke retaliation. Israel has been bombing Syria with impunity for years and rarely acknowledges its strikes in the country.
The Syrian side has not confirmed the raid. Israeli reports alleged that Iranians were captured in the operation, but Iranian officials denied those claims.
“No Iranian forces have been present in Syria in the area mentioned by the Zionist media, and this area is where the Syrian army forces are present, the source said,” Iran’s MEHR news agency reported, citing a source. “Accordingly, the claim of the Zionist media about harming the Iranian forces or capturing them is completely false and baseless.”
