Israel claimed responsibility for a September commando raid on an Iranian missile manufacturing site in Syria. The covert mission, internally designated “Operation Deep Layer,” targeted the Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS), a facility near Masyaf used by Iranian forces to produce precision missiles for Hezbollah.

The operation was conducted by members of the Israeli Air Force's elite Shaldag unit on September 8. The commandos, flown over 200 kilometers into Syrian territory, rappelled from helicopters to access the heavily fortified underground site. After neutralizing guards at the entrance, the team descended into the missile production facility, where they planted explosives and retrieved intelligence materials. The explosives were detonated remotely after the commandos exited the site, destroying the facility and its equipment.

Israeli defense officials stated that the soldiers were on the ground for just over an hour. Simultaneously, Israeli aircraft launched strikes on surrounding targets, including roads leading to the facility. These strikes, which reportedly killed 14 people and wounded 43, were intended to mask the helicopters' approach and prevent reinforcements from reaching the area.

The Israeli army had monitored the CERS facility for over five years, frequently targeting it in airstrikes. However, previous operations had proven insufficient to destroy the extensive underground infrastructure established by Iranian forces.

Israel informed the U.S. about the operation beforehand, and the raid proceeded without objections from Washington. 

The Masyaf area, west of Hama, had served as a strategic base for Iranian forces and pro-Iranian militias and was repeatedly targeted by Israeli strikes in recent years. Following Assad's ouster in early December, the Israeli Air Force launched a 48-hour bombing campaign in Syria, dismantling much of the former regime’s military capabilities to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into hostile hands.