Israel strikes dozens of ‘Iranian military targets’ in Syria overnight

Joanne Stocker May 10, 2018

1 minute read

Israel said it hit dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria overnight, including one where a rocket attack on the Israeli army in the Golan Heights originated.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Thursday, May 10 that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds special force fired a rocket from Syria towards the Golan Heights, which had been on high alert since the previous day when the government ordered public shelters opened and called up reserve forces.

Conricus said Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepted four of 20 rockets fired from Syria around midnight, and the rest did not land in Israel. No injuries were reported.

NEW MAP: #Israel strikes multiple targets in #Syria following rocket barrage pic.twitter.com/I3af5NzVO1

— Le Beck Int'l (@LeBeckInt) May 10, 2018

It was one of the largest military operations in recent years and the biggest against Iranian targets, according to the IDF.

Iran had been expected to retaliate for last month’s Israeli missile strike on the T4 airbase that reportedly killed a senior Iranian military official. If confirmed, it would be the first direct Iranian attack on Israel.

SANA reported that Israel had also struck Hezbollah and Iran-backed militas’ positions in the Golan, close to the border with Israel. Hezbollah said Syrian forces had retaliated.

Video sent to me directly from Hezbollah fighters around Damascus International Airport tonight filming Syrian Air Defenses intercepting Israeli rockets. pic.twitter.com/7uzV8MIt3u

— Ali (@Ali_Kourani) May 10, 2018

Syrian state television SANA broadcast footage of missiles above Damascus. SANA said that Syrian anti-aircraft systems destroyed “dozens of missiles” while some reached their targets.

“The IDF has struck dozens of Iranian military targets in Syria in response to the Iranian rocket attack against Israel. Quds force is behind attack and has played the initial price,” Conricus said, adding that Israel was not seeking to “escalate the situation.”

Overnight, IDF fighter jets struck dozens of military targets belonging to the Iranian Quds forces in Syrian territory pic.twitter.com/LwBJTMkxYR

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) May 10, 2018

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Thursday that Israel has struck “all of the Iranian infrastructure in Syria,” including five Syrian air defense systems.