How 120 Elite Israeli Forces Raided Syria, Destroyed Missile Plant In 3 Hours

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) on Thursday declassified details of a high-stakes operation in which 120 Israeli commandos raided and destroyed an alleged underground Iran-funded missile manufacturing facility in Syria. The mission, codenamed "Operation Many Ways," was carried out on September 8 in 2024. 

The facility, known as "Deep Layer," was allegedly located near the Masyaf area in western Syria, a region considered a stronghold of Syrian air defences. Israeli officials claimed that the site, a flagship project of Iran's missile production program, was intended to supply precision missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon and to the Assad regime in Syria. The operation was carried out without injuries to the Israeli forces, the officials claim.

The Facility

According to the IAF, Iran's construction of the Deep Layer facility began in late 2017, following an earlier Israeli airstrike on an aboveground rocket engine manufacturing site at the Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS) in Jamraya, southern Syria. This attack led Iran to shift its operations underground, aiming to safeguard its missile production capabilities from future airstrikes. By 2021, the underground facility, buried 70 to 130 metres into a mountain, had become operational, with missile production capabilities nearing full scale.

Photo Credit: Screengrab from video posted on X by @IDF

The horseshoe-shaped structure featured three primary entrances: one for raw materials, another for completed missiles, and a third for logistics and office access. Sixteen production rooms lined the facility, including mixers for rocket fuel, missile body construction areas, and paint rooms. The IDF estimated the facility's annual output could have ranged between 100 and 300 missiles, capable of reaching targets up to 300 kilometres away.

Strategically located just 200 km north of the Israeli border and 45 km from Syria's western coastline, the Deep Layer facility offered Iran a means of circumventing Israeli strikes on overland weapons convoys to Hezbollah. The underground site would have enabled Hezbollah to receive missiles directly from Syria's border.

The Prep

The IDF's decision to raid the facility came after years of monitoring and intelligence gathering. While initial plans were formulated years prior, the operation gained urgency amid the multifront war that began in October 2023, involving Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other Iran-backed militias.

DECLASSIFIED: In September 2024, before the fall of the Assad Regime, our soldiers conducted an undercover operation to dismantle an Iranian-funded underground precision missile production site in Syria.

Watch exclusive footage from this historic moment. pic.twitter.com/s0bTDNwx77 — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) January 2, 2025

The elite Shaldag unit, known for long-range penetration operations, and Unit 669, specialising in combat search and rescue, were selected for the mission. Over two months of intensive training included simulations and backup scenarios to mitigate risks during the high-stakes operation. 

The mission date was chosen for its favourable weather conditions. Extensive intelligence efforts mapped the facility's layout, identified Syrian air defence capabilities, and analysed potential threats on the ground.

The Execution

The operation began with 100 Shaldag commandos and 20 Unit 669 medics boarding four CH-53 "Yasur" heavy transport helicopters. Escorted by AH-64 attack helicopters, 21 fighter jets, five drones, and 14 reconnaissance planes, the convoy departed from Israel, flying over the Mediterranean to avoid Syrian radar detection.

Upon reaching Syrian airspace, the helicopters flew exceptionally low to evade one of the country's densest air defence zones, second only to Damascus. To mask the commandos' approach, IAF aircraft launched diversionary strikes on other Syrian targets, drawing attention away from the Masyaf region.

The helicopters landed near the facility's entrances, deploying troops while maintaining a defensive perimeter. Unit 669 personnel remained on standby aboard the aircraft, prepared to evacuate or treat casualties if necessary. A surveillance drone launched by the commandos monitored the area.

Commandos secured the perimeter and breached the facility's heavily fortified entrances using equipment on-site, including forklifts. Some soldiers had undergone forklift training in preparation for this specific task. Inside, the team planted approximately 660 pounds of explosives along the production line, targeting critical machinery such as planetary mixers.

Photo Credit: Screengrab from video posted on X by @IDF

After ensuring all charges were in place, the team exited the facility and detonated the explosives remotely. The resulting blast, equivalent to one ton of explosives, caused a "mini earthquake" with soldiers reportedly saying that the "ground trembled". 

The commandos completed their mission in under three hours, departing aboard the same helicopters that had delivered them. The IDF reported killing approximately 30 Syrian guards and soldiers during the operation, while Syrian media claimed 14 fatalities and 43 injuries.