On January 2, 2025, the Israeli military announced the destruction of a strategic military facility in Masyaf, Syria, which allegedly produced precision-guided missiles and long-range rockets for Hezbollah and Iranian proxy forces. The operation took place on September 8, 2024, involving over 100 Israeli commandos.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 27 individuals were killed during the strike, although the Israeli military did not disclose any casualty figures. The facility was reportedly monitored by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israeli military spokesperson Colonel Nadav Shoshani described the site as a precision-guided missile factory built within a mountain, indicating that most components were sourced from Iran. The facility had the capacity to produce hundreds of missiles annually.
Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated that this operation is part of a series of missions aimed at dismantling Iran's missile production capabilities across the Middle East. The military has conducted numerous strikes against Iranian-related targets in Syria since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011.
Images released by the Israeli military showed soldiers boarding helicopters and landing at the target site, where they engaged in combat before returning safely to Israel. Vital machinery and documents from the facility were reportedly transferred to Israel for further investigation.