A research facility involved in weapons and chemical arms development was among several targets hit in central Syria on Sunday night in a series of airstrikes attributed to Israel. Authorities reported 25 dead and 43 injured in the attack, including Syrian soldiers.
Syrian media outlets reported the widespread strikes, attributing them to Israeli fighter jets. According to Arab sources, at least 10 targets were hit. Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported that 15 missiles struck their targets in a series of attacks in Damascus, Homs, and Hama.
Video: The strike in Syria / Credit: Arab media
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in Britain, told Sky News that at least six rockets hit the research institute in Masyaf, where experts from Iran's Revolutionary Guards reportedly operate. The institute, which has been a target for attacks over the years, is known to produce weapons for Iran's proxies.
Al Jazeera and Syrian sources affiliated with the Assad government reported that air defense systems were activated against "hostile targets" in central Syria. The attack reportedly targeted the Masyaf area in the outskirts of Hama, where a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center is located.
Syrian opposition sources reported ambulances heading toward the research center. Syrian state television quoted a military source saying that around 11:20 p.m., Israel launched an aerial attack from Lebanese airspace, targeting several military sites in central Syria. The source claimed that defense systems were activated against the incoming missiles, successfully intercepting some.
Al-Mayadeen, a channel with close ties to Hezbollah, reported explosions in the skies over Tartus and Masyaf in Syria's Hama region. Syrian sources described the attack as widespread and unusually large in scale, with some networks reporting a second wave of strikes.
According to Syrian opposition sources, several pro-Iranian sites were targeted, including a center belonging to the CERS Institute, known for developing advanced weapons, including chemical weapons.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israel attacked military sites in the Hama area in three separate waves. These sites are reportedly manned by pro-Iranian militias and weapons development experts. The attack led to the destruction of a building and damage to military centers in the vicinity of the research institute. A fire also broke out in a nearby forest as a result of the strikes.
