Israel’s military on Thursday disclosed the details of the high-stakes operation into an underground missile production facility in Syria on September 8. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that the facility housed ‘advanced assembly lines designed to manufacture precision-guided missiles and long-range rockets’ for use against Israel by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
The mission dubbed internally by the Israeli Forces as ‘Operation Many Ways’ targeted the complex near Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani revealed in a press briefing that Israel had been monitoring the plant, built into a mountainside, since its construction began in 2017.
The military released footage of Israeli troops conducting operations at what appeared to be an industrial site. The video showed soldiers boarding and disembarking from helicopters, navigating through a concrete-lined tunnel, and inspecting documents at the location.
Syrian Missile Facility
The facility, shaped like a horseshoe, featured three key entrances. One entrance, located on the mountain’s side, was used for receiving raw materials, while a nearby exit was designated for completed missiles. A third entrance facilitated logistics and provided access to offices, which were connected to the manufacturing area.
Inside, the horseshoe-shaped layout housed at least 16 rooms forming the missile production line. These included planetary mixers for rocket fuel, missile body construction areas, and paint rooms.
WATCH Video Here:
DECLASSIFIED: In September 2024, before the fall of the Assad Regime, our soldiers conducted an undercover operation to dismantle an Iranian-funded underground precision missile production site in Syria.
Watch exclusive footage from this historic moment. pic.twitter.com/s0bTDNwx77
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 2, 2025
The facility was not fully operational when Israel targeted it. Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani stated it was close to producing precision-guided missiles with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), according to Reuters.
Testing had already resulted in the successful production of at least two missiles. Rocket engines were reportedly being mass-produced at the site.
How Israeli Military Executed The Raid
On September 8, 100 Shaldag commandos and 20 Unit 669 members boarded four CH-53 “Yasur” helicopters from an Israeli airbase to Syria. Two attack helicopters, 21 fighter jets, five drones, and 14 spy planes joined them, with 30 more aircraft on standby in Israel.
The helicopters flew low over the Mediterranean to avoid Syrian radars before entering Syrian airspace. The first landed near the target, deploying commandos. Two others landed nearby, while the fourth waited before deploying additional troops. The helicopters then moved to safe positions, waiting for two hours for the 100 commandos to execute the mission successfully.
While the ‘Operation Many Ways’ remained in action, Israeli jets and drones, along with Navy missile boats, launched numerous strikes to distract Syrian forces and mask the helicopters’ approach. Some strikes blocked roads while others targeted Syrian reinforcements heading to the site.
The team exited the facility after planting explosives, which were detonated remotely. The blast, equivalent to one ton of explosives, caused a “mini earthquake,” with soldiers describing the ground as trembling. The mission was completed in under three hours, with the commandos departing on the same helicopters.
n December 2024, Bashar Assad’s Iran-backed government was overthrown. The collapse of Damascus prompted a wave of Israeli airstrikes aimed at Syrian and Iranian military assets to stop them from falling into the hands of Islamist rebels.
