Sunday night it was reported that Israel had carried out a flurry of airstrikes against central Syria, killing a number of people. It is now being reported that the attacks were much more intense than initially thought, with a much higher toll.
It is now being reported that Israel killed at least 25 people and wounded more than 40, with the attacks centering on a the Syrian Military Scientific Studies and Research Center in Masyaf. The killed included at least four soldiers and intelligence personal, and five civilians.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tends to be used as a mouthpiece for opposition groups, said that the Masyaf site is used to work on precision missiles and drones.
The Israeli Defense Forces have refused to comment on the attack at all, saying they do not offer comments on any reports that emerged in foreign media. In 2022, however, Israel’s Benny Gantz claimed that the site was being used by Syria to produce advanced missiles for its proxies.
Israel attacks targets in Syria on a pretty regular basis, but this is a particularly extreme example. In addition to the strikes on the Masyaf facility, attacks also caused a substantial forest fire on nearby wooded areas.
Beyond Masyaf, there were also reported strikes in and around Damascus, and elsewhere in the Hama Province. There were explosions reported in the coastal city of Tartus, though it appears this was related to Syria’s air defense systems being activated to try to intercept some of the attacking Israeli missile fire.
Masyaf’s hospital is reporting that a lot of wounded have been taken there for treatment. The exact number of wounded keeps rising, including people harmed in the strike and wounded in the ensuing shrapnel. There are several people reportedly in serious condition, so the death toll may continue to rise going forward.