Syria TV has reported startling new claims regarding a recent Israeli strike on positions in western Syria, alleging that Israeli forces not only conducted air raids but also carried out a ground operation targeting sensitive military sites. The report, which cannot be independently verified by Levant 24 (L24), suggests that the operation included an airdrop, clashes, and the abduction of Iranian personnel.
According to sources cited by the Istanbul-based Syria TV, Israeli helicopters hovered over the city of Masyaf, west of Hama, last Monday, without landing. Instead, Israeli military personnel descended using ropes while drones provided cover, destroying Assad regime vehicles and cutting off roads leading to the area. The sources claim that the operation resulted in intense clashes, with three Syrian soldiers killed and several others wounded, including civilians.
Notably, the report alleges that Israeli forces captured two Iranian nationals during the operation. Security forces of the Assad regime reportedly blocked rescue teams from reaching the site, leaving the fate of several soldiers unknown. While civilians were transported to Masyaf Hospital for treatment.
The sources also speculated that Assad regime insiders may have facilitated the operation. They allege that the strike targeted a Russian communications center in the mountainous Jabal Al-Mashhad Al-Ali area, where a Russian radar expert was reportedly hit.
This latest operation follows a series of Israeli airstrikes over Sunday and Monday night, which targeted military sites associated with the Assad regime and Iranian militias along the Syrian coast. Several media outlets close to the regime reported 16 deaths and 36 injuries as a result of the strikes, calling it one of the most “forceful” attacks in recent months.
Journalist William Al-Ali, a native of Masyaf, told Syria TV that the explosions shook the city, with missiles precisely targeting military and research facilities affiliated with Iranian forces and the Assad regime. According to Al-Ali, the strike’s intensity was unprecedented, completely wiping out military sites along the Masyaf-Wadi al-Uyun road. He also implied the coordinates of the targeted research center in Masyaf, a location previously hit by Israeli strikes, may have been leaked, allowing for the high-precision attack.
Further claims were made regarding a possible ground operation that followed the airstrikes. Eyewitness accounts suggested Israeli helicopters engaged in a brief gunfight with survivors at the scene. The sources indicated that between two and four Iranian officers were taken prisoner, though details remain unclear due to tight security surrounding the incident. Following the attack, Syria TV reports that the Assad regime launched a high-level investigation involving military leaders from air defense, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare units.
The strikes have reportedly crippled Assad’s air defense capabilities in the region. According to Syria TV, recent Israeli air raids targeted key radar and air defense systems, including Chinese and Russian-made equipment. The loss of these systems has left large portions of Assad’s coastal airspace exposed, undermining the regime’s ability to counter Israeli operations.
