Syrian government forces reportedly fired a surface-to-air missile at IAF fighter pilots Wednesday from the 72nd brigade army base in response to an alleged Israeli air strike aimed at destroying a weapons factory near the Syrian city of Homs.
The missile was reportedly fired from the regime’s 72nd brigade army base, according to Arab media, which reported it missed the mark — unlike the air strike, which seems to have hit the target squarely.
Update: jets targeted a mineral factory in the industrial city south of
The sound near was an AA missile explosion pic.twitter.com/lOYkUY1j2t— Wael Al Hussaini (@WaelHussaini)
Syrian weapons are shared with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrilla group that is dedicated to Israel’s annihilation.
According to Lebanon’s ‘Elnashra‘ news site, Israel Air Force aircraft were seen flying above the Lebanese Mountain range close to the Syrian-Lebanese border just before a massive explosion was heard in the area of the border.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah-linked Al Mayadeen news network reported “unconfirmed reports” the IAF struck a facility in an industrial area in the Homs suburb, and that “Syrian anti-aircraft systems responded” to the attack.
Al Mayadeen claimed the attack was aimed at a “factory of copper vessels,” but the Arabic-language Sky News site reported the IAF struck a weapons factory four times, according to Ynet, which quoted the site.
The attack came shortly after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boarded a plane with his wife for a trip to London to attend ceremonies to mark the centennary of the Balfour Declaration.
This is a developing story.