JERUSALEM — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed that elite Israeli forces carried out a significant raid in Syria in September, destroying a clandestine underground facility manufacturing long-range missiles. This facility also contained data related to Syria’s chemical weapons program.

The IDF publicly detailed the operation on Thursday during a press briefing.

IDF spokesperson Nadav Shoshani described the mission as “one of our most significant and complex special operations in recent years.”

The IDF released compelling video footage showcasing the commandos’ actions and the subsequent destruction of the subterranean complex.

The spokesperson stated that the precision-guided missile factory was located within a mountain.

Intelligence pertaining to Syria’s chemical weapons program was recovered during the operation.

Shoshani mentioned seeing “notebooks and documents containing details about specific chemicals,” including “a chemical handbook detailing missile manufacturing.” He added that the troops dismantled the facility to ensure Israel’s safety.

Throughout Syria’s protracted civil war, Assad’s regime repeatedly deployed chemical weapons against its own citizens. Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, provided significant support to Assad’s regime during the conflict.

According to the IDF, the factory had the capacity to produce 150-350 missiles annually. Commandos from the IDF’s elite Shaldag unit participated in the mission. The IDF reported 30 Syrian soldiers were killed.

The IDF spokesperson explained that the operation targeted an Iranian-funded precision-guided missile factory in Syrian territory near the Lebanese border. This facility was designed to produce hundreds of strategic missiles annually for Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel and its Iranian allies in Syria.

Due to the terrain and the underground nature of the facility, an air-based operation was infeasible. On September 8, 2024, special forces executed a nighttime raid involving over 100 soldiers and dozens of aircraft, including helicopters.

“I salute our heroic fighters for this daring and successful operation deep in Syria,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated. “This crucial preventive operation countered the Iranian axis’s efforts to arm itself for attacks on us; it demonstrates our resolve and willingness to act decisively to defend ourselves.”

Following a devastating event resulting in over 1,200 deaths, including 40 Americans, Israel has faced multiple attacks from Iran, the primary backer of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and others.

Amit Segal, Channel 12’s chief political analyst, stated that Israel previously viewed Iran as an “octopus” with its nuclear program as the head and conventional terrorist organizations as the arms. Netanyahu believed containing these arms was crucial while focusing on the main nuclear threat.

“This perception changed on October 7 when it became clear the arms were not merely a nuisance but an existential threat,” Segal noted.

The commando raid on the Syrian factory may also serve as a warning to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

“After a year and a quarter focused on disabling the octopus’s arms, Israel in 2025 faces a historic crossroads in the confrontation Netanyahu has long sought. History will judge him on his efforts to eliminate the nuclear threat,” Segal observed.

The IDF spokesperson stated that construction on the Syrian missile factory began in late 2017, concluding in 2021 with the arrival of manufacturing equipment from Iran. Most factory components originated from Iran.

Between October 2023 and November 2024, Hezbollah launched over 17,000 projectiles at Israel, resulting in numerous Israeli casualties, according to the IDF spokesperson.