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Israel struck 50 Iranian targets in Syria after 20 rockets were fired towards Israel’s front defensive line in the Golan Heights early Thursday morning by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp’s Quds Force, the IDF announced.
The targets all belonged to IRGC’s Quds Force and included intelligence sites, logistics headquarters, a military compound and logistics complex in Kiswah near the Syrian capital of Damascus, weapons storage sites belonging at Damascus International Airport, intelligence systems and installations, as well as observation, military posts and military hardware in the buffer zone.
According to IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, the Israeli retaliation was “one of the greatest operations of the Israel Air Force in the past decade.”
During the operation by the Israel Air Force, the jets were met with heavy anti-aircraft fire from Syrian regime and in return, five air defense batteries were destroyed by Israel.
Map of Iranian targets in Syria struck by IDF May 10, 2018Incoming rocket sirens were activated at 12:10 in the morning in Israel’s northern Golan Heights communities of Majdal Shams, Neve Ativ, Nimrod, Masa’ade, Buqa’ata, Odem and El Rom.
There were no injuries or damage from the barrage as no projectile landed inside Israel, the army said, adding that four missiles had been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system which had been deployed in the north.
“The IDF has been engaged in a wide-scale disruption operation against an attempt by the Quds Force to carry out an offensive against Israel,” Manelis said on a call with reporters on Thursday. “We have operated several times against Iran and have succeeded in preventing a number of terror attacks and Iranian strikes in the past month.”
“The Iranian attack on Israel tonight is yet another clear proof of the intention behind the Iranian forces’ entrenchment in Syria and the danger they pose to Israel and regional stability,” the IDF stated, adding that “the IDF will continue to act decisively against Iran’s entrenchment in Syria.”
The military stated that even though Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani is directly behind the attack, the Syrian regime is responsible for what happens in its territory and warned it against acting against the IDF.
“Tonight reflects what we are preparing for the future. The Quds Force chose to act against the State of Israel in the wrong place. We won’t accept an Iranian entrenchment in Syria and the Quds Force has paid a very heavy price,” Manelis said.
“The IDF is highly prepared for a variety of scenarios and will continue to act as necessary for the safety of Israeli citizens,” the army said, stressing nonetheless that residents in Israel should continue their routine and that schools and farming can function as usual.
Following the missile barrage, all roads in the Golan Heights were closed to traffic.
Israel has been preparing for a direct attack from the Quds force since mid-April, in response to a strike allegedly carried out by the Jewish state against an Iranian operated airbase in Syria which killed seven IRGC soldiers.
“This was an Iranian event which was a very significant event and it will not be tolerated,” IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis said after the rockets were launched, adding that there would be an IDF response. Pro-Syrian regime news outlet al-Mayadeen reporting any further strikes will be met with a “larger” attack on Israel
On Tuesday night, the military instructed local governments to open bomb shelters to residents of the Golan Heights following the identification of “abnormal movements of Iranian forces in Syria.”
The army has it raised preparedness of “troops for an attack” and deployed air defenses in the several locations in the north of the country.
The Jerusalem Post visited the area earlier on Wednesday and witnessed a heavy and visible police presence on highways leading to northern Israel and IDF vehicles blocking access to all roads north of Route 98 in the Golan Heights.
While some bomb shelters in the area were opened prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the significant change in Syria witnessed by the military led to the decision to open all bomb shelters and to inform residents of the increased tension in the area.
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