Operation Arrow of Bashan: For the first time since the Yom Kippur War, the IDF operated within Syria, completing a series of extensive attacks in the country as part of Operation “Arrow of Bashan,” which began late Saturday night. The IDF states that most of the strategic weapon stockpiles in Syria were targeted, fearing they would fall into terrorist hands.
Meanwhile, naval missile ships carried out an operation this week, during which forces used dozens of munitions simultaneously to strike two Syrian Navy bases – at the ports of Al-Baida and Latakia, where 15 Syrian Navy vessels were docked. Among the targets: dozens of sea-to-sea missiles capable of reaching ranges of 80-190 kilometers, each carrying tens of kilograms of explosives, posing a threat to civilian and military vessels in the region.
Additionally, forces from the Bashan Formation (Division 210) recently began a complex defense mission on the northern border, aimed at ensuring the security of the residents of the Golan Heights and all Israeli citizens. Under the command of the division commander, elite units are deployed in combination with infantry, armor, engineering, and commando forces to address the new and dynamic security reality since the fall of Assad’s regime earlier this week.
During the proactive defense activities, four brigade combat teams conducted patrols, observations, and scans to identify threats along the border line between Syria and Israel – and even deep within Israel’s northeastern neighbor, just 30 kilometers from Damascus. The brigade combat team 474 forces seized control positions in the buffer zone, where they managed to locate and confiscate abandoned Syrian tanks and additional weaponry.
A weapons storage facility located by IDF forces (Credit: IDF Spokesperson)
Moreover, forces from the Mountain Brigade (810) and soldiers from the Shaldag Unit completed a brigade-level operation in the Syrian Hermon area. During the operation, they identified a Syrian Army outpost containing dangerous weaponry such as mines, explosives, anti-tank missiles, and advanced military equipment. The operation was declared a success and served as a historic, no less than operational milestone, strengthening Israel’s security in the military and political reality in the aftermath of the upheaval in Syria.
