Iran denies reports of soldiers captured by Israeli forces in Syria

Iran has denied reports that Israeli forces captured Iranian soldiers during an alleged dramatic operation in Syria, slamming the claims as "absolute lies".

The denial came after the Turkey-based opposition Syria TV published an exclusive report on Thursday stating that Israeli forces had carried out a special operation in Syria's Hama on Sunday, infiltrating an Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) facility near Masyaf.

Tehran said no Iranians were present at Masyaf, according to IRGC-linked Tasnim News Agency, although Iran has long downplayed its military presence in Syria, where it has bolstered Bashar Al-Assad's regime following a 2011 domestic uprising.

"The attacked area belongs to the Syrian Army," the report cited an "informed source" as saying. "Therefore, claims that any Iranian was either injured or captured there are entirely false."

Israeli and US media also reported that Israeli special forces had descended from helicopters, placed explosives inside the facility and removed sensitive information.

The Iranian embassy in Syria dismissed the reports in a statement posted on X, accusing Israel of "spreading misinformation" through "unknown" media outlets used as "propaganda mouthpieces".

"The Zionist entity is so frustrated that it sees no way to save itself except by killing children and spreading lies," the statement said.

On Sunday, Syrian media outlets reported that Israeli strikes hit a scientific research centre in Masyaf, which was long associated with the manufacturing of chemical weapons and missiles used by the Syrian regime and Iranian forces.

The report by Syria TV, which is a sister site of The New Arab, said Israeli commandos descended from helicopters and captured two to four Iranians at the site while confiscating documents and equipment during the operation.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanani rejected on Sunday reports that Iranian sites were hit in the Israeli strikes, saying that all the targets were operated by the Syrian military, including the military research institution.

During his weekly news conference, Kanani condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks on Syrian soil, saying: "Zionist regime has no boundaries for the crimes it commits and has now taken its crimes beyond its borders onto other territories."

Israel has vowed to stop Iran from establishing a strong military presence in Syria, where thousands of fighters backed by Tehran are stationed. It is claimed that Syria serves as a crucial corridor for Iran to transport weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that since the war in Gaza started in October last year, Israel has carried out 76 airstrikes in different parts of the country.

It said 287 Iranian-linked fighters and Syrian troops and 27 civilians, including two children, were killed in the strikes.