In rare acknowledgement, IDF confirms strikes in Syria against Hezbollah infrastructure

In a rare acknowledgment, the IDF confirms launching airstrikes in Syria earlier this evening, targeting what it says is infrastructure and assets belonging to Hezbollah’s intelligence division.

The strikes were carried out by fighter jets in the Damascus suburb of Sayyidah Zaynab.

The IDF says the Hezbollah unit in Syria is responsible for intelligence collection and assessments.

Hezbollah’s intelligence division was headed by Hussein Ali Hazima, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut on October 4, an attack targeting the division’s main headquarters.

The strike last month also killed top Hezbollah official Hashem Safieddine, as well as the head of the intelligence division in Syria, Mahmoud Muhammad Shahin, according to the IDF.

Shahin was a veteran member of Hezbollah, especially in the terror group’s intelligence division. He had headed the division’s Syria branch since 2007, the military says.

The IDF says Shahin maintained contact with the Syrian regime and Iranian officials, and as part of his role “he led the development and deployment of intelligence and air defense capabilities in coordination with various parts of the Iranian axis.”

His elimination is a “significant blow” to Hezbollah’s intelligence capabilities, the military adds.