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Rebel attack on CERS 4000 Institute in Masyaf

December 4th 2024 , , , , ,
Syrian rebels attack the CERS in Masyaf on December 3, 2024

By Tal Beeri and Boaz Shapira

On December 3, rebels from the “Fatah al-Mubin Operations Room” (affiliated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham) released a video showing a suicide drone attack launched by their forces against a facility in the Masyaf area of ​​western Syria.

According to our assessment, the targeted building is located within the well-known Institute 4000 (Sector 4) complex of the Syrian Scientific Research and Studies Center (SRSC).

The structure appears to function as the site's main administrative offices, located separately from the weapons production and storage areas.

Syrian rebels attack the CERS in Masyaf on December 3, 2024

In recent years, Iranian efforts have intensified to increase its influence in the CERS, particularly the 4000 Institute.

The primary focus of Institute 4000 is the development and production of rockets and missiles, with a specific emphasis on precision-guided munitions (PGM) for Hezbollah.

Other activities include the manufacturing of unmanned aerial vehicles [drones], bombs and missile propellants.

The Masyaf area lies west of the main fighting zones between rebels and Syrian regime forces, but recent days suggest an emerging rebel effort to advance in their direction.

It is worth noting that since the start of the current rebel offensive against regime forces on November 27, rebels have seized two important CERS sites near Aleppo, as part of their operations over the past week.

The first site, located west of Aleppo, is probably linked to Department 340.

The second site, comprising two large complexes, the Defense Factory Complex and the Suleiman Complex, is located near the town of al-Safira, approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Aleppo.

CERS facilities in Syria, particularly those in Masyaf and Aleppo, have been the target of numerous attacks in recent years, including last year amid Operation Iron Swords.

These attacks, often attributed to Israel, have reportedly caused some disruptions and delays in CERS activities, but, in our assessment, have not completely halted or neutralized them.

In May 2024, we published a position paper on the CERS, in which we recommended a comprehensive strike to destroy all CERS facilities in Syria.

We argue that the elimination of the CERS sites would represent a strategic blow to Iran's efforts in Syria, significantly harming its weapons development and production initiatives, as well as its weapons supply corridors for Hezbollah and various militias.

This recommendation remains relevant given Iran's sustained efforts to deliver weapons to Hezbollah during the war with Israel and in its post-war recovery and rearmament strategy.
Furthermore, it is critical to remember that CERS serves as a platform for chemical weapons expertise, production and capability retention.

This represents a significant strategic capability under the Syrian regime, with Iranian participation, and raises concerns about the possible transfer of such capabilities to Hezbollah.

At the time of writing, our recommendation is reinforced by the reality that CERS sites have fallen under the control of extremist rebel organizations or are at risk of doing so.

Source: Alma – Research and Education Center.

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