Israel's Special Operation Against IRGC's Underground Missile Facilities in Syria

On Thursday, January 3, Israel provided further details about its air force operation aimed at destroying an Iranian missile production facility in Syria, revealing aspects of the operation for the first time. This operation, involving 120 Israeli commandos, took place on September 8, 2024, during Bashar al-Assad's regime and before Israel's heavy and deadly attacks against the leadership and commanders of Hezbollah in Lebanon. No Israeli commando was harmed during the operation. The goal of the Israeli army's 'Operation Many Paths' was to destroy this underground facility known as 'Deep Layer,' which the Islamic Republic of Iran intended to establish for producing precision missiles for Hezbollah, its proxy group, and the Assad regime. This underground facility was located 200 kilometers north of Israel and 45 kilometers from the western shores of Syria, built 70 to 130 meters deep within a mountain near the Syrian government's military industries research center in the Masyaf area, making its destruction through direct air strikes challenging. The Israeli army stated that the Islamic Republic began excavating in this area in late 2017, and Israeli intelligence sources were aware of Iran's actions from the outset. Following years of successful Israeli attacks on weapon shipments to Hezbollah and a heavy Israeli strike on a missile engine production facility in the same location, the Islamic Republic decided to construct a missile production facility deep within the mountain. By 2021, Iran had completed excavation and construction and began transferring equipment for mass missile production, continuing to transfer equipment in subsequent years. According to the Israeli army, this IRGC facility was not fully operational at the time of the attack on September 8 but was in the final stages before becoming operational and had produced two missiles experimentally in addition to mass-producing rocket engines. The Israeli army estimated that the IRGC intended to produce between 100 to 300 missiles annually, including long-range missiles with a range of 300 kilometers, precision missiles with a range of 130 kilometers, and short-range rockets with a range of 40 to 70 kilometers at this facility. According to the 'Times of Israel,' although the idea of attacking this IRGC facility had been formed years earlier, the ongoing war between Iran and its proxies against Israel prompted Israeli officials to seriously consider the attack. Israeli commandos had been engaged in training based on various scenarios two months prior to 'Operation Many Paths' to prepare for any unforeseen incidents during the operation. This operation coincided with the war against Hamas and Hezbollah and the Israeli army's ongoing efforts to intercept and destroy projectiles fired by these groups and other Iranian proxies toward Israeli citizens, with preparations for the operation consuming part of the Israeli army's resources. In the weeks and days leading up to the operation, Israeli intelligence efforts intensified to determine the exact landing location of Israeli commandos, how they would enter the IRGC facility, and the potential threats during the operation. The timing of the operation was set for September 8 due to factors such as clear weather aiding the transfer of Israeli commandos by helicopter. Six Israeli army helicopters, along with 21 fighter jets, 5 drones, and 14 reconnaissance aircraft, supported the operation, while 30 other aircraft were on standby within Israel to assist in case of unforeseen incidents. Israeli commandos were transported by helicopters from the Mediterranean Sea to the IRGC facility in Syria in 18 minutes, flying at low altitudes to evade Syrian radar and air defense systems. The Israeli Kan network reported on Sunday, January 9, that Israeli commandos had attacked an underground missile production facility of the Islamic Republic's IRGC in the city of Masyaf, Syria, in September 2024. The report also noted that the Israeli government had informed the United States in advance of the attack. Over the past years, Israel has been responsible for repeated attacks on IRGC positions and Iranian proxy militants in Syria, particularly Hezbollah, but rarely claimed responsibility for these attacks. Following the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7 of the previous year, the intensity and frequency of attacks on the Islamic Republic's positions and its proxies in Syria increased. Hezbollah, which had unilaterally begun drone and rocket attacks against Israel the day after the terrorist attack, lost a significant portion of its leadership, military commanders, and thousands of its members due to retaliatory Israeli attacks, and as a result of its inability to support the Syrian regime, five decades of Assad family rule over Syria came to an end.