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Israel and Iran reached the brink of full-scale war Thursday as the Islamic Republic's unprovoked rocket attack on soldiers in the Golan Heights gave way to an unprecedented Israeli counter-strike that targeted nearly all Iranian infrastructure inside Syria.
The Israeli Defense Force said it deployed fighter jets and used missiles to strike a range of targets, including military compounds, intelligence operations and munitions warehouses, a statement read. The strikes were Israel's largest air operation in Syria since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
“The IDF will not allow the Iranian threat to establish itself in Syria. The Syrian regime will be held accountable for everything happening in its territory,” the press release read. “The IDF is prepared for a wide variety of scenarios.”
The missile launcher responsible for the Iranian rocket strikes was also destroyed, according to the release.
The strikes came in response to Syria-based Iranian forces firing roughly 20 rockets at Israeli front-line military positions in the Golan Heights. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, an IDF spokesman, called the attack "the most severe attempt" by Iran's Al Quds force to attack the country. It was the first time Iranian forces have attacked Israel from Syria, according to Reuters.
Conricus said four rockets were intercepted and the others fell short of their targets. No injuries or damage was reported.