Israeli warplanes raided military sites in Syria amidst reports that the strikes targeted locations where Iranian-backed militias are stationed.

The Ministry of Defense in the Syrian regime’s government stated that an Israeli bombardment targeted several military sites in the central region from the northwest of Lebanon on the evening of Sunday, September 8, without precisely identifying these sites.

The ministry added that the air defense systems intercepted and downed some of the missiles.

According to the ministry, the bombardment led to the death of three people and injured 15 others, in addition to material losses. The ministry did not specify whether the casualties were civilians or military personnel.

Local radio station Sham FM quoted Faisal Haidar, the director of the National Hospital in Masyaf, on Monday, saying that the number of dead had risen to 16, and 36 were injured, some in critical condition.

Reuters reported that two regional intelligence sources stated that a major military center for producing chemical weapons located near Masyaf had been bombed several times.

The unnamed sources added, “It is believed that the center houses a team of Iranian military experts involved in producing weapons.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition human rights organization based in London, said that the attack destroyed buildings and military centers in the Scientific Research area in Masyaf city, causing a fire in wooded areas along the Masyaf-Wadi al-Oyun road and the Heir Abbas area.

The Observatory added that some of the air defense missiles fell in residential areas, villages, and inhabited farms.

A missile fell in the village of Samakeh in the Khirbet al-Mazzeh district in the Tartus countryside, and another hit the al-Majd suburb, causing material damage.

Thirteen strong explosions were heard both in the Scientific Research area of Masyaf in the western Hama countryside, and two Israeli missiles struck locations in the al-Zawi area in the Masyaf countryside, resulting in fires. The strike also targeted a site on the Masyaf-Wadi al-Oyun road and another site in the Heir Abbas area.

Israeli media outlets, including Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, merely reported news of the shelling from Syrian media.

What is in Masyaf?

This is not the first time Israeli aircraft have targeted Masyaf in the western Hama countryside. It has frequently targeted the Scientific Studies and Research Center located in the city, a center specialized in developing and preparing military research for the Syrian army.

According to the Times of Israel newspaper, it is believed that the Masyaf area, western Hama, is used as a base by Iranian forces and militias loyal to Tehran, and it has been repeatedly targeted in past years by widely attributed Israeli attacks.

The Masyaf area contains the Scientific Studies and Research Center known as CERS or SSRC, which is used by Iranian forces, according to Israel, to manufacture precise ground-to-ground missiles.

In 2022, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that Iran uses the Scientific Research Center in Masyaf to produce advanced missiles and weapons for its proxies.

The Israeli minister made his remarks following a similar airstrike on the same site at that time, but it appears that the strikes did not eliminate the threat, as the facility has been repeatedly targeted since then.

During a press conference, the Israeli Defense Minister displayed a map of military installations across Syria, claiming they are used to manufacture advanced munitions for Iran and its proxies.

At that time, he said, “The sites I am revealing to you on the map, particularly the underground site in Masyaf where precise missiles are manufactured, represent a significant potential threat to the region and Israel.”

According to information obtained by Enab Baladi from an engineer who previously worked at the Scientific Research Center in Masyaf, the scientific centers were overseen by experts from North Korea and Russia before 2011.

At the start of the Syrian revolution, these parties reduced their involvement in the research center’s operations, coinciding with Iranian infiltration into its administration, according to the engineer, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of his family in Syria.

The research centers specialize in manufacturing and developing weapons, but the engineer, now residing in Germany, said that the employees are not privy to the entire schedule of activities, and he did not know if chemical weapons were being developed at the facility.

A collaborative platform for Iran and Hezbollah

Previously, the Israeli Alma Research Center, specializing in studying threats in northern Israel, mentioned in a detailed report that “Iran’s main focus is developing and manufacturing precision missiles, cruise missiles, and drones on Syrian territory.”

The Israeli center stated in August 2023 that these manufacturing operations are concentrated around the Scientific Research Center, which is considered the heart of the Syrian military industry.

According to Alma Center, the Masyaf’s Scientific Research Center has turned into a collaborative platform comprising Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah since 2011.

Since April 2017, the United States has imposed sanctions on 271 individuals from the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center in response to an attack using the toxic gas “sarin” on Khan Sheikhoun in southern Idlib countryside.

At that time, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said, “These comprehensive sanctions target the scientific support center for the horrific chemical weapons attack carried out by Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad against innocent civilian men, women, and children.”

He added, “The United States is sending a strong message with this action that we will hold the entire Assad regime accountable for these egregious human rights abuses to deter the proliferation of these brutal chemical weapons.”

To ensure Hezbollah’s weakening

In June, Reuters quoted seven regional officials, diplomats, and Syrian officers saying that Israel has intensified its covert strikes in Syria against weapons sites, supply routes, and leaders linked to Iran, ahead of a potential large-scale attack on Hezbollah, Iran’s main ally in Lebanon.

The agency quoted three sources saying that an Israeli airstrike killed 18 people, including an adviser from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), targeting a secret fortified weapons site near Aleppo at the beginning of the same month.

The other four sources said another airstrike in May hit a convoy of trucks heading to Lebanon carrying missile parts, and a third strike killed Hezbollah operatives.

Reuters also quoted three Syrian officials stating that Israeli actions suggest it is preparing for large-scale warfare against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which could commence once Israel reduces its military campaign in Gaza.

An Israeli government official told Reuters that Israeli leaders’ statements have been clear that escalation “could be imminent in Lebanon.”

The Syrian officials and the Israeli official said that the Israeli campaign in Syria aims to ensure Hezbollah is as weak as possible before any potential conflict starts.

Israel targets infrastructure and headquarters of Iran-backed armed groups in Syria, sometimes deep within Syrian territory, while frequently responding to sources of fire from southern Syria.

Israeli airstrikes had previously calmed in Syria after a rapid escalation began when Israel bombed an Iranian consulate building in the Mazzeh district of Damascus. Iran responded about ten days later with a barrage of missiles and drones launched towards Israel, which did not reach their target.