This past fall, Israel sent more than 100 commandos to carry out a raid on one of Iran’s missile production facilities in Syria. The raid happened in September, and the soldiers reportedly didn’t suffer a single casualty. The world only learned much about it because the Israeli Defense Force recently released some details and footage captured by the commandos during the mission.
So, let’s start at the beginning.
The raid, called “Operation Many Ways,” took place the night of Sept. 8. At the time, Bashar al-Assad was still ruling Syria, and Israel had not yet begun its major offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The target was an underground missile production facility, codenamed “Deep Layer.” As its codename suggests, the facility was buried between 230 and 430 feet deep in the mountains overlooking Syria’s Scientific Studies and Research Center.
Israel said the site was Iran’s flagship project to arm Hezbollah, the terrorist proxy in Lebanon that the IDF has since severely weakened.
The facility was built underground because the Israeli Air Force frequently targeted supply lines from Iran to Lebanon. By producing weapons underground and closer to Lebanon, Iran was trying to streamline transportation.
The IDF reported Deep Layer wasn’t fully operational but was close to producing weapons full time for Hezbollah. The facility was already manufacturing rocket motors at scale.
Planning for Operation Many Ways began in 2017 and even included forklift certification for some commandos, as they needed to use forklifts onsite to breach doors in the facility.
The operation involved 100 special operators from the Israeli Air Force’s Tier-1 commando unit, Shaldag, and 20 search-and-rescue soldiers.
The commandos breached the facility, while the search-and-rescue soldiers were on standby to provide medical treatment if needed.
The IDF said there was enough equipment to set up a small field hospital if needed. In the end, it wasn’t needed, as no injuries were reported. However, the medical personnel and equipment on sight underscored Israel’s commitment to the mission. The IDF was determined to destroy the facility before evacuating anyone.
Once inside, the commandos placed explosives on all the key elements needed for weapons manufacturing, gathered intelligence, and then exfiltrated to helicopters which took them home. After they exited, the explosives were detonated, destroying the facility.
Israel’s Air Force and navy conducted concurrent strikes in the area to provide cover while the commandos carried out the raid. The coordinated effort lasted about two and a half hours. Again, there were no reported injuries or casualties among the Israeli forces.
Some 30 Syrian guards and soldiers were killed during the operation. About an hour after the commandos pulled out of Deep Layer, hundreds of Syrian soldiers swarmed the site. Which just goes to show timing in operations like this, is everything.
