Syria has once again become a focal point of intense regional conflict, as recent events highlight the ongoing military and political tensions in the region. U.S. airstrikes have targeted extremist groups, killing 37 militants affiliated with ISIS and al-Qaeda, while Israel launched a commando raid on a Hezbollah-linked weapons facility in Masyaf, marking a significant escalation in its campaign against the Iranian-backed group. Meanwhile, Hamas leader Ahmed Muhammad Fahd was killed by an Israeli airstrike in southern Syria, further intensifying the volatile situation. Additionally, reports suggest that Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian civil war has reshaped the group into a regional arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, but at great cost, as the group faces mounting losses and eroded political standing. These developments underscore the complex web of alliances and conflicts in Syria, as international forces and regional actors continue to vie for influence.
U.S. airstrikes on Syria kill 37 militants affiliated with extremist groups
In Syria, 37 militants affiliated to the extremist Islamic State group and an al-Qaeda-linked group were killed in two strikes, the United States military said Sunday, AP reported.
Two of the dead were senior militants, it said.
U.S. Central Command said it struck northwestern Syria on Tuesday, targeting a senior militant from the al-Qaeda-linked Hurras al-Deen group and eight others. They say he was responsible for overseeing military operations.
They also announced a strike from earlier this month on Sept. 16, where they conducted a “large-scale airstrike” on an IS training camp in a remote undisclosed location in central Syria. That attack killed 28 militants, including “at least four Syrian leaders.”
“The airstrike will disrupt ISIS’ capability to conduct operations against U.S. interests, as well as our allies and partners,” the statement read.
There are some 900 U.S. forces in Syria, along with an undisclosed number of contractors, mostly trying to prevent any comeback by the extremist IS group, which swept through Iraq and Syria in 2014, taking control of large swaths of territory.
U.S. forces advise and assist their key allies in northeastern Syria, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, located not far from strategic areas where Iran-backed militant groups are present, including a key border crossing with Iraq.
Israel’s New Campaign Against Hezbollah Started With Raid in Syria
The New York Times published a report in which it detailed Israel’s commando raid on a secret weapons facility near Masyaf, Syria, marking a significant escalation in its campaign against Hezbollah.
In early September 2024, Israel launched a daring commando raid on a secret weapons facility near Masyaf in northwestern Syria, marking the beginning of a new campaign against Hezbollah. This facility, officially controlled by the Syrian Ministry of Defense but reportedly operated by Hezbollah and Iran, was targeted due to concerns that it was manufacturing advanced precision missiles for future attacks on Israel.
The operation, conducted by Israeli special forces who arrived via helicopters under the cover of darkness, involved dozens of commandos infiltrating the underground complex and destroying crucial missile production equipment. The strike was a part of Israel’s long-standing effort to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring advanced weaponry, but it also marked a shift in focus following the deadly Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In the weeks following the raid, tensions escalated. Hezbollah began attacking northern Israel, and Israel responded with airstrikes, causing significant casualties in Lebanon. Additionally, sabotage operations targeting Hezbollah’s communication systems killed dozens and injured thousands, further intensifying the conflict.
This operation underscores Israel’s broader strategy of preemptively neutralizing perceived threats from Iranian-backed groups like Hezbollah, which continues to vow retaliation. As Israeli forces ramp up their efforts, the regional conflict has expanded, raising concerns about further escalation and international efforts to broker peace.
Israel says head of Hamas in southern Syria killed in airstrike
The head of a Hamas network in southern Syria was killed in an airstrike overnight, the Israeli army says.
Ahmed Muhammad Fahd, according to the military, was responsible for directing attacks on troops and against the country, mostly with rocket fire on the Golan Heights. “Fahad was eliminated while he was planning to carry out another terror attack in the immediate time frame,” the IDF says.
Nasrallah and Assad: The Syrian war that changed Hizbollah
The Financial Times published a report which examined how Hezbollah’s involvement in the Syrian civil war reshaped the organization, transforming it from a Lebanese resistance group into a key regional arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, while also eroding its political standing and overstretching its resources, leaving it vulnerable to Israeli attacks.
The Syrian civil war had a transformative effect on Hezbollah, reshaping the group from a Lebanese resistance movement into a key regional arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force. Hezbollah’s involvement in the war began in 2011 when its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, made the pivotal decision to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of both Hezbollah and Iran. Deploying thousands of fighters, Nasrallah aimed to prevent the fall of the Assad regime and protect Hezbollah’s supply lines from Iran.
While this move helped Assad regain control over much of Syria, it had significant consequences for Hezbollah. The group’s involvement in the conflict deepened sectarian divides, as it became embroiled in a Sunni-majority opposition against Assad’s Alawite-dominated regime. The war cost Hezbollah significant political capital, especially in the Arab world, where it had previously enjoyed widespread support for resisting Israel. This shift undermined Hezbollah’s reputation as a purely anti-Israel force and cast it as a sectarian militia.
Despite these challenges, Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria allowed it to establish a new stronghold outside Lebanon, particularly in the Damascus neighbourhood surrounding the Sayyeda Zainab shrine, offering the group and its fighters’ families a place of retreat.
However, Hezbollah’s overextension in Syria, combined with its distraction from its traditional focus on Israel, left it vulnerable to Israeli attacks. As the group faces escalating assaults from Israel, the long-term impact of its Syrian involvement remains uncertain. While the Syrian war bolstered its battlefield experience, it also eroded the group’s standing and overstretched its resources, leading to current significant losses.
