A number of Iranian forces were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a Syrian military position near the city of Masyaf in western Hama province overnight Friday-Saturday. Syrian state media said Israeli jets carried out the raid in the middle of the night, firing missiles while flying in Lebanese airspace.
Syria’s official state news agency SANA said Israel targeted a military site in the area, but that Syrian air defenses intercepted the attack, downing some of the missiles fired. The regime mouthpiece said the interception resulted in the destruction of several buildings and the wounding of three “fighters.” The area is known to house Iranian forces and their Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.
According to a report by the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights in Arabic, Iranian “elements” and pro-Iranian militants were killed in the alleged attack, and 17 people were injured.
Israel does not regularly comment on alleged strikes in Syria, though it has acknowledged some operations.
The Observatory said Saturday that the strike targeted a Syrian military college in the town and two buildings used by Iranian forces in nearby villages — a development center for medium-range missiles in Zawi and a training camp in Sheikh Ghadban.
Iran has been one of the top military backers of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime in the over nine-year-long civil war in the country, as has been its Lebanese proxy, the Hezbollah terror group.
SANA quoted a military source as saying on Saturday, “Around 2:30 am (2330 GMT Friday)… the Israeli air force carried out a strike targeting one of our military positions in the town of Masyaf,” adding that Syrian air defenses intercepted some of the missiles.
Israeli airstrike reported overnight in Masyaf, Hama countryside #Israel#Syria pic.twitter.com/jXy9DKUf0L— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) April 13, 2019
“The enemy missiles were dealt with and some of them were shot down before reaching their target, resulting in the damage of a few buildings and the injury of three fighters,” SANA said, according to a Reuters report.
Earlier, SANA had reported explosions in the area’s countryside.
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