The IRGC Quds Force was planning to strike northern Israel. The IDF thwarted the attack and struck Iranian targets in Syria on Saturday.

Israeli IDF attack south of Damascus, Syria Aug. 25, 2019
Israeli IDF attack south of Damascus, Syria Aug. 25, 2019. (photo credit: SCREENSHOT/YEDIOT M’HASHETACH)

 

The Israeli Defense Forces were on high alert on Sunday ahead of a possible retaliation after IDF aircraft struck Iran targets in Syria on Saturday night.

On Thursday, the Israeli army thwarted an attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps against northern Israel.

Iron Dome batteries have been deployed in the region.

Israel struck several targets in the village of Aqraba south of the Syrian capital of Damascus overnight Saturday,  thwarting an attack by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps against northern Israel.

According to IDF Spokesperson Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, the IRGC Quds Force was planning to strike northern Israel on Thursday by launching several armed drones against the targets.

He added that the cell planning the attack received direct orders from Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in Tehran.

“In a major operational effort, we thwarted an attack against Israel by Iranian Quds force and Shiite militias,” Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “I repeat: Iran has no immunity anywhere. Our forces are operating in every direction against the Iranian aggression. We will continue to work against Iran and its proxies with determination and responsibility for Israel’s security.”

“If someone rises up to kill you, kill him first,” Netanyahu added referencing a passage from the Talmud.

Manelis said that the airstrikes struck several targets in Aqraba where there was the presence of Quds Force and Shiite militia troops, equipment and Iranian missiles.

“The IDF is in high readiness to continue both defensive and offensive actions as necessary against the plans to attack the State of Israel,” Manelis said on a phone call to reporters from the Air Force pit in Tel Aviv, adding that the military “sees Iran and the Syrian regime directly responsible for the attempted terror attack.”

Earlier on Saturday Syria’s SANA news agency reported that regime defenses intercepted “hostile targets” in the skies of Damascus.

While no bomb shelters in northern Israel have been opened, following the airstrikes the military updated the Golan and Katzerin regional councils of the attack. Iron Dome batteries have also been deployed to the north and all squadron bases have been placed on high alert for any Syrian-Iranian response against Israel.

Last year an armed Iranian drone infiltrated into Israeli skies armed with explosives that had been launched to carry out a sabotage attack in the Jewish State.

The advanced Iranian drone believed to be a copy of a US stealth drone that was downed in Iran in 2011, took off from the T-4 airbase deep in the Syrian province of Homs and crossed into Israeli territory via Jordanian airspace.

The drone was spotted by Israel and was intercepted near the Israeli town of Beit She’an by an Apache attack helicopter.

Following the infiltration Israeli jets took off to strike the launch site of the drone as well as the drone control vehicle which guided the drone into Israeli territory and were met by massive Syrian anti-aircraft fire. Over 20 missiles were launched towards the Israelis jets from SA-5 and SA-17 batteries.

Pilots of one of the Israeli F16is ejected from their jet which crashed in the lower Galilee after being hit by shrapnel by the Syrian anti-aircraft fire. The pilots landed inside Israel and were evacuated to Rambam hospital in Haifa. Both have since been released from the hospital and the navigator has returned to flight duty.

It was the first time in 30 years that an Israeli jet was lost in a combat situation and led to an extensive retaliation by Israel with additional strikes against both the Syrian missile batteries and Iranian military targets in the war-torn country.

As reported by The Jerusalem Post