IDF New Photos Reveal Iranian Installations in Syria

The IDF released Friday new aerial photos revealing some of the Iranian intelligence operations and installations in Syria that were targeted during Thursday’s strikes by the IDF. The attack was in response to rockets shot toward northern Israel, in the most extensive military exchange ever between the two adversaries.

The pictures show four Iranian installations in Syria: Tel Gharba, Tel Kleb, Nabi Yusha and Tel Maqdad. Among other sites, the photos show a Quds Force military compound in Al-Kiswa and an Iranian logistic site near Damascus.

According to the IDF, Wednesday night’s strikes targeted Iranian-backed intelligence centers, weapons storehouses and logistics centers in Syria, as well as the rocket launcher that carried out the missile attack on Israel.

In the operation, dubbed “Operation House of Cards” F-15 and F-16 fighter jets bombed over 50 Iranian targets throughout Syria. Iranian intelligence sites, logistics headquarters, a military compound and a logistics complex in Kiswah, an Iranian military camp north of Damascus, weapons depots, intelligence posts and military posts were bombed. In addition, the IDF destroyed the Iranian launcher from which the rockets were fired at Israel.

A senior IAF officer said Thursday that the IDF attack was the biggest operation in Syria since 1974. According to the officer, the operation was successful and ended within an hour and a half. “We announced in advance and the mechanism worked and we saved the freedom of action.”

The officer said that the planning of the operation was rigorous and explained that the conditions were not easy: “We operated a wide array of planes and dozens of bombs, the weather conditions were restrictive, it was night and the skies were crowded and required careful planning and synchronization with the control units. Even if we succeeded in thwarting [the attack], this is a serious move, and therefore it received a decisive response. ”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Thursday spoke of the Israeli attack on Syria and said that “Iran crossed a red line, and our response was accordingly.” According to Netanyahu, he conveyed a message to the Assad regime that the operation was directed against Iranian targets. He also noted that the Iranian operation had failed, and that no rocket had landed in Israeli territory.