This stands as one of the most daring and complex operations executed by the IDF during the recent war. In the dead of night, 120 elite warriors from Shaldag and 669 units, along with aircrew personnel, arrived with complete surprise at the heart of a missile production facility protected by dozens of air defense systems deep in Syria. The operation concluded in just two and a half hours, with the forces successfully destroying their target and returning home unscathed.
Iran designed and funded this missile production facility with the capability to manufacture 150-300 missiles per year. The planned arsenal included M-220 surface-to-surface rockets with a 43-mile range, M-600 inertial surface-to-surface rockets that could strike targets 143-186 miles away, and precision M-302 surface-to-surface missiles with an 81-mile reach.
This audacious operation represents the IDF's most extensive commando mission since the Entebbe Operation in 1976. Intelligence sources now confirm that most missiles and rockets fired at Israel were manufactured on Syrian soil by Iranians and transferred to Hezbollah. Following the operation, Shaldag commandos remarked: "Walking around the site felt like being at home – the intelligence was completely accurate."
Sophisticated Iranian planning
Iran's decision to construct the site came in 2017, after observing Israel's attacks on various above-ground facilities they attempted to establish as part of the "SARS" institutes. They planned to build a missile factory inside a mountain, protected by between 43-75 miles of earth above it, intending to prevent effective Air Force attacks from above ground. The site was established within an area surrounded by air defense systems and ranked as Syria's most protected location for air defenses, second only to the Damascus area.
The factory featured a horseshoe design, with materials entering one side and missiles exiting the other. By 2021, the excavation columns were completed, allowing the Iranians to equip the facility with missile manufacturing machines.
While Israeli intelligence monitored the site extensively, the decision to act came after a relatively junior female officer convinced her commanders of the urgent need to strike before the site became operational and security increased. The IDF notes that the site was on the verge of becoming operational, with all machines assembled and missile production simulations already conducted.
With only about 40 soldiers guarding the not-yet-fully-operational site, any delay in the Israeli operation would have necessitated a completely different approach, as the Syrians would have significantly strengthened security measures.
The H-hour was set for a night with optimal weather conditions, due to the complexity and significant concern about flying four Yasur helicopters loaded with soldiers into enemy territory. Besides the four Yasur helicopters, two attack helicopters flew to the target for assault and cover, and five drone positions were placed above it.
Because the area was saturated with air defense systems, about two and a half months before the operation, during another strike, the IDF attacked a radar that could have threatened the forces. On the night of the operation on September 8, the IDF struck near the site in Masyaf in a relatively broad air strike, with one of the strikes not far from the facility itself.
18 minutes from border to landing
From crossing into Syria until the forces landed at the target, only 18 minutes elapsed. The helicopters flew very low, literally skimming the sea to avoid detection by Syrian air defense systems, a complex and dangerous flight path.
Seven minutes before landing at the target, guard positions around the site were bombed from the air to clear the area for the soldiers. According to estimates, most guards at the location were eliminated in these strikes, and only four remained alive, but these too were eliminated from the air during the operation. The battle procedure for this special operation was conducted during the multi-front war, during which the Shaldag unit carried out about 800 operations. The preparations took about three months, during which Shaldag continued to conduct many operations in several combat zones.
One of the critical bottlenecks was the forces' time on the ground. The Shaldag unit, which planned the operation, tried to minimize ground time as much as possible, understanding that if they stayed too long on the ground, the Syrians would manage to send many forces to the area.
Ultimately, the forces spent less than three hours on the ground. If they had remained for another hour, the Syrians would have already managed to funnel hundreds of fighters toward them. It should be noted that dozens of Syrian soldiers had already approached the area, but they were either attacked from the air or fled when they heard the explosions.
They operated at maximum speed to exit the location as quickly as possible, before Syrian forces arrived. Inside the site itself, about 50 commandos operated, with additional soldiers providing cover, while Unit 669 operators secured the helicopters that waited powered down at a nearby location.
660 pounds of planned destruction
After planting about 660 pounds of explosives, the soldiers gathered at one of the landing zones, verified everyone was present and everything was in order, and while still on the ground, pressed the button that blew up the underground facility. The flight home was no less complex because while the arrival at the target was surprising and covert, the return flight came after Syrian forces had realized an operation was taking place.
The IDF Spokesperson announced: "For years, the Intelligence Division conducted continuous intelligence gathering and monitoring that clarified the target's value. In the months preceding the operation, a plan was initiated to destroy it using Air Force units. The soldiers landed in the area via helicopters, accompanied by fire support and collection from aircraft, fighter jets, and Navy vessels. The raid's target was an underground site deep in Syrian territory built with Iranian funding and support. The site was a flagship project in the effort to arm its proxies on Israel's northern border."
It was further stated that "The complex included advanced production lines designed to manufacture precision missiles and long-range rockets, significantly increasing missile supply to Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the region. During the operation, forces reached critical machines for precision missile production, including a planetary mixer, numerous weapons, and intelligence documents that were transferred for investigation. The soldiers destroyed the complex and returned safely to Israeli territory. The IDF will continue to operate through various methods and ways, with cunning and professionalism, to remove threats directed at Israeli citizens."
The IDF Chief of Staff stated: "The Shaldag unit's operation deep in Syria joins a series of bold actions that 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. Iran has established a circle of fire and missiles around Israel's borders over the years, and we have struck both the circle and its head."
