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Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria

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Israel launched an extensive strike overnight in Syria in response to a barrage of Iranian rockets fired toward the Golan Heights.

At 12:10am local time Iranian forces fired 20 rockets toward an Israeli army post on the Golan Heights. IDF Spokesperson Brigadier-General Ronen Manelis said that four of the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system and the rest landed in Syria. No injuries were reported. It was the first time that the IDF directly accused Iran of firing rockets toward Israeli territory. The missiles fired included Grad and Fajr-5 models.

In response, the IDF launched an extensive campaign, striking dozens of military sites affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) elite al-Quds Force. Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, said: “The Israel Defence Forces is taking action at this moment against Iranian targets in Syria. Any Syrian involvement against this move will be met with the utmost seriousness.”

The IDF said it targeted intelligence observation posts, logistics command positions, military command posts and bases, a weapons depot in the Syria International Airport and the launch vehicle that conducted the rocket attack. It also targeted five Syrian anti-aircraft systems, after they fired dozens of missiles toward Israeli planes.

IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said, “The Quds Force paid a heavy price, it will take the Iranians a long time to recover”.

“The Syrian air defences are confronting a new wave of Israeli aggression rockets and downing them one after the other,” Syrian state news agency SANA reported. Israel said it had informed Russia, Syria’s ally, of the strikes before carrying out the attack.

Speaking at the annual Herzliya conference today, Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the IDF had destroyed “nearly all” of Iran’s military infrastructure sites in Syria, warning that Israel “will not let Iran use Syria as a base to attack us”.

The exchange of fire between Israel and Iran follows increasing tension and Iranian threats in recent months between the two countries. On Tuesday a strike attributed to Israel on a weapons depot of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards in southern Syria reportedly killed 15 foreign pro-regime fighters, of which eight were Iranians.

At least seven Iranians were killed on 9 April during a suspected Israeli strike on the T4 airbase in central Syria, prompting Iran to vow revenge against Israel. Israel has said repeatedly it will not allow Iran to build up a permanent military presence in Syria.