According to Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash, Israeli missiles killed at least 18 people and injured almost 40 in central Syria. Syrian state television said that the strikes were directed at a number of military locations in the central area, including those close to Masyaf in the province of Hama.

Al-Ghabbash described the attack to media as “a brutal and barbaric aggression,” stressing that the majority of the dead were civilians. Some of the missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defense systems, a military source informed the state-run SANA news agency. No further information was given.

The strikes severely damaged Syria’s water and electricity infrastructure; Mohammad al-Zamel, the minister of energy, called the damage “truly significant.” A fire was also sparked near Masyaf, further compounding the chaos in the region. According to two regional intelligence sources, the attack targeted a military research center believed to be involved in chemical arms production, with Iranian experts working at the site. Other strikes were reported around the coastal city of Tartous.

This attack follows Israel’s long-standing policy of targeting Iranian-linked sites in Syria. Iran has sworn revenge, though no concrete action has yet taken place, as tensions rise, especially in the wake of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s murder in Tehran.

Ansar Allah’s political bureau expressed solidarity with Syria, stating, “We affirm Syria’s legitimate right to respond to this crime and call on Arab and Islamic countries to unite against Israeli and American terrorism.”