This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (September 2024) |
On 8 September 2024, Israel attacked a branch of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC) near Masyaf in the country's northwest, killing at least eighteen people according to state media.[1][2] The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said that 27 people were killed.[3]
| 2024 Masyaf raid | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Israel–Hezbollah conflict (2023–present), the Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war and the spillover of the Israel–Hamas war | |
| Type | Raid, airstrike |
| Location | |
| Date | 8 September 2024 |
| Executed by | Israel Defense Forces |
| Casualties | 18–27 killed |
The Syrian military said that Israeli aircraft flying over northwestern Lebanon launched missiles at "a number of military sites in the central region" at around 20:20 GMT, and that some had been shot down.[3] The Masyaf–Wadi al-Oyoun highway was damaged and a fire broke out in the forested Hair Abbas area.
Citing Western officials, The New York Times and Axios reported that Israeli Air Force Shaldag commandos had landed at the site by helicopter, covered by airstrikes, to destroy an underground facility used by the Syrian government's allies, Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran, to build precision-guided missiles.[4][5]
The SOHR and Western intelligence agencies have previously identified the SSRC as responsible for Syrian chemical weapons and missile development programs.[2][3] The former also claimed that Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers had been stationed at the site for the last six years, which Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani refused to confirm nor deny.[3] The Israeli operation was reportedly planned as a ground raid after airstrikes over the preceding years had pushed Hezbollah and Iran—involved in a long-running conflict with Israel that has intenfisied amid the Israel–Hamas war—to move their operations underground.[3][4]
Reactions
- Israel: The Israeli military said it would not comment on the strikes.[3]
- Syria: Syria's foreign ministry condemned the strikes as "blatant aggression".[3]
- Iran: Iran's foreign ministry called the strikes a "criminal attack".[3]
- Cuba: Cuba's foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla denounced the strike as Israeli aggression and a regional escalation of tension.[6]
References
- ^ "At least 16 people are killed in airstrikes in Syria, state media reports". The New York Times. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b Marsi, Stephen Quillen,Federica (12 September 2024). "Israeli air strike kills 2 in southern Syria: War monitor". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
The attack comes days after raids blamed on Israel killed 18 people in the central province of Hama, according to Syrian authorities. The Syrian Observatory said those strikes killed 27 people, including six civilians, and targeted a "scientific research area" and other sites in the province's Masyaf area.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d e f g h Gritten, David. "Israeli strikes on Syrian military sites kill 18, health minister says". BBC. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b Ravid, Barak (12 September 2024). "Israel destroyed reported Iranian underground missile factory in Syria ground raid". Axios. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ Cooper, Helene; Schmitt, Eric; Barnes, Julian; Bergman, Ronen (12 September 2024). "Israeli Commandos Carried Out Raid on Secret Weapons Site in Syria". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Cuba decries Israeli military aggression on Syria". Mehr News Agency. Retrieved 10 September 2024.