According to a report by Doron Kadosh on Galei Tzahal, the “SARS” Syrian Industries site was the only site in Syria for the production of ground-to-ground missiles. It was supposed to produce 100-300 missiles each year. The site is located deep underground, about 70-130 meters dug into the side of a mountain.
In recent years, Israel has attacked the site four times, attacks that delayed and disrupted the construction work. The site was meant to produce advanced ballistic missiles with ranges of 70 to 300 km, all of which were intended to be sent to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Due to its depth inside the mountain, the site was defined by Israel as a “secure site.”
IDF spokesperson: The intelligence agencies in Israel understood that the site was close to becoming operational and would soon begin producing advanced missiles. The understanding was that once the site became an active manufacturing facility, it would become a much more protected and secured site—where the number of guards and security posted by the Syrians and Iranians would increase significantly. Operation “Many Ways” was an opportunity to reach the site on the ground while security was still relatively light—only a few dozen guards—before the industrial production process began.
The preparations for the operation began two months earlier, in July 2024. A month later, production of engines had already begun at the site. The IDF says: “If we had waited any longer to carry out the operation, it might have already been too late, or the entire operation might have needed to look completely different.”
The objective of the operation was to destroy as many production machines as possible within the underground site, with the highest priority being the destruction of the planetary mixers, the most critical component in the production process of advanced missiles.
The operation consisted of parallel phases—starting with a large-scale airstrike, which appeared to be another routine Israeli airstrike against weapons storage sites, similar to many others Israel had carried out in recent years. The goal of the strikes was to prevent the Syrians from understanding that ground forces were about to land in Masyaf, and to cut off access routes to the area to delay reinforcements the Syrians might send. The IAF created a “fire envelope” ahead of the ground forces’ landing. Preparations were also made in case the Russian forces in Syria, stationed near Masyaf, would try to interfere with the operation. About 70 aircraft participated in the operation, including fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, and UAVs. Approximately 50 bombs were dropped on the targets.
A “Sled” unit force consisted of about 100 soldiers and was at the heart of the operation. Along with them, about 20 soldiers from Unit 669 joined the operation.
The 120 soldiers arrived in 4 “Yas’ur” helicopters, which took off from Israel and flew for about an hour and a half to reach the target, including aerial refueling along the way. The flight was done over the sea at a very low altitude of just 60 feet. “The helicopters skimmed the sea surface,” said a senior Air Force officer. In Syrian territory, the flight lasted 18 minutes until landing. The flight took place under heavy aerial threats.
The soldiers landed at two heliports in the area, which the Air Force identified as suitable landing sites for the helicopters.
The first force to land consisted of about 50 soldiers. Their task was to isolate the area, neutralize threats, and thus enable the second force to land, which would raid the site and destroy it. Up to 7 minutes before the first force’s landing, the Air Force continued attacking the area to neutralize threats. The site was not heavily guarded—about 30 Syrian guards were stationed at various observation posts, with a vehicle mounted with a machine gun at a controlling point and a standby squad. The first isolation force landed at a controlling point in the area. This force used drones to establish control over the area and identify any potential threats or Syrian reinforcements that might arrive. The second force—the assault force—landed at another heliport and had to run quickly, about 700 meters from the heliport to the doors of the underground site.
The first challenge faced by the forces was the locked doors. The Iranian site was in “night operation” mode, not operating at those hours, and it had three heavy entrances, all of which were locked and blocked, requiring breaching. The soldiers had trained for this in advance and began the breaching operations.
Meanwhile, the third force—the demolition team—made its way from the heliport. This team, carrying all the explosives and heavy equipment, took longer to arrive. Within 45-50 minutes of landing, the breaching was completed, and the forces entered the underground complex through the third opening.
The forces entered and began a rapid scan of the entire facility. There were no people inside. The soldiers who entered moved through the “missile production corridor,” room by room, and began the demolition operations: placing the correct charge on each machine, in the right size, and most importantly—first—searching for the mixers, the most critical component for destruction. The three mixers were found in rooms B4, B5, and B6 in the heart of the complex.
To open the other entrances to the facility, the soldiers used forklifts that were inside the site. This was not a last-minute improvisation: intelligence had known in advance that forklifts would be available inside the site to assist in breaching the doors from the inside, and as part of the operation’s preparation, some soldiers were sent to train on using a forklift.
Meanwhile, the demolition team continued to rig the facility. In each room, the appropriate charge was placed. “We did everything in a rush,” said one of the commanders. The soldiers also gathered intelligence material from the site—confirming what Israel had already known: this site was on the verge of beginning industrial production of ballistic missiles.
After completing the rigging, the forces moved to the required safety distance, and the unit’s bomb disposal officer pressed the button while the soldiers were still on the ground. Nearly a ton of explosives detonated at the site.
The soldiers ran back to the helicopters waiting for them on the ground and flew back, an hour and a half, to Israel. About an hour after the force left the site, reinforcements of hundreds of Syrian soldiers arrived in the area. They were on their way—highlighting how dangerous the operation was. Hundreds of Syrian army soldiers faced a small force of 120 IDF commandos. According to the IDF assessment, around 30 enemy personnel were killed during the operation, which included the original security force guarding the site and a few others who attempted to reach the area during the operation.
The operation was completed successfully, with no casualties among our forces. None of the soldiers were injured—but the Air Force also prepared for the possibility that soldiers might be injured during the operation. The helicopters carried a “flying operating room,” which could provide urgent care in the field for several soldiers in critical condition. However, due to the importance and complexity of the mission, any injured soldiers were intended to receive treatment in the field and return with the rest of the force to Israel without being flown separately.
50% of the soldiers who participated in the operation were reservists from the Shaldag (Kingfisher) Unit, who have been in active reserve service since October 7.
The IDF says that it took the Syrians and Iranians several days to understand what had happened at the secret site inside the mountain in Masyaf. As of now, the site is no longer in use, and both Assad and the Iranians have left the area of Syria. It is still unclear what the future holds with Julani and the rebel forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked on the operation in Syria: “I salute our heroic fighters for the daring and successful operation deep inside Syria. This is one of the most important disruption operations we have undertaken against the Iranian axis’s attempts to arm itself in order to harm us, and it demonstrates our determination and audacity to act everywhere to protect ourselves.”
The Chief of Staff, Hertzi Halevi, said that : “The Shaldag Unit’s operation deep inside Syria joins a series of daring actions the IDF has carried out in recent months—from the Gaza Strip, to the Dahieh in Beirut, and to Iran, aimed at destroying the Iranian axis’s missile production capabilities. For years, Iran has built a circle of fire and missiles along Israel’s borders, and we have hit both the circle and the head.”
The Air Force commander concluded the operation by saying: “In this just war, this was a critical event for the survival of the state. Now that we’re back safely after completing the mission, we can be proud and tell future generations that we did something meaningful for Israel’s security.”
No comments:
Post a Comment