IDF Reports Failed Missile Launch From Syria; Mysterious Explosions Rock Syrian Militia Base

Jerusalem – A military base in Syria near the Iraqi border that belongs to an Iran-backed militia was targeted by unidentified warplanes early Monday, killing 18, according to Arab media reports.

“Warplanes whose identity is not known so far targeted vehicles and positions of the Iranian forces and militias loyal to them,” said the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) according to Saudi news network Al Arabiya. Eighteen fighters died in the attack on the facility, according to SOHR, which also housed members of the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group Hezbollah.

According to the Israeli military, shortly before the airstrike “Shi’ite militias” under Iranian command attempted to launch several missiles from Syria into Israel.

A number of rockets were fired from #Syria toward #Israel overnight, all failing to hit Israeli territory.

The rockets were launched by Shiite militias operating under the command of the Iranian Quds Force.

We hold the Syrian regime responsible for events taking place in Syria.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) September 9, 2019

IDF Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee also warned that Syrian President Bashar Assad will “pay a heavy price” for his continued assistance to Iran on his country’s soil, according to Israel’s Ynet news.

“We warn the regime of Bashar al-Assad that it will pay a heavy price for allowing the Iranians and Shi’ite militias to operate from within its territory, turning a blind eye and even cooperating with them. This thing is not hidden from us. You have been warned,” said Adraee according to Ynet.

The airstrikes reportedly took place in the area of a compound Fox News reported on just last week as being Iran’s largest-ever military facility in Syria, still under construction. According to Fox News, Iran is expected to move thousands of troops there once the facility is completed, as well as advanced weaponry such as precision-guided missiles.

According to Al Arabiya, said the base struck on Monday belongs to the Popular Mobilization Forces, an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization founded in 2014 comprising some 40 militias mostly made up of Shi’ite Muslim groups, but also including some Sunnis, Christians and Yazidis who are fighting the Islamic State jihadist organization.

The PMF has blamed Israel and the United States for multiple strikes against their arms depots and training camps since July.

(AP)