Syrian sources have denied reports that an Israeli drone strike targeted an Iranian car assembly factory in central Syria.
The factory, known as the “Sham” car factory and located in the industrial city of Homs along the Damascus-Homs highway, was reportedly empty at the time of the alleged attack.
On Sunday, Syria’s state news agency, SANA, reported an explosion in one of the factories in the industrial city of Homs, with officials investigating the cause.
The director of the Hassia Industrial City, Amer Khalil, confirmed that an airstrike targeted three vehicles carrying aid and relief materials within the industrial zone. He dismissed claims that the strike hit a car factory.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen channel also reported that an Israeli missile strike had hit the car factory in the Hassia industrial area, along with two other vehicles carrying humanitarian aid.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed that Israeli airstrikes targeted three trucks loaded with food and medical supplies at the Iranian car factory in Hassia, southern Homs.
The trucks were reportedly delivering humanitarian aid from Iraq for Lebanese citizens affected by Israeli strikes. These aid deliveries have been coming through the Syrian-Iraqi border for several days, primarily organized by the Iraqi Red Crescent, including medical supplies, food, and blankets.
According to SOHR, the aid trucks were part of a convoy of approximately 150 vehicles that had crossed from Iraq into Syria via the al-Bukamal-Qaim border crossing. These trucks, guarded by Syrian military intelligence, were en route to Deir Ezzor and later to Lebanon.
The “Sham” car factory, owned by Iranian and Syrian investors, initially ceased operations during the early years of the Syrian conflict but resumed production in 2018 when the Syrian government regained control over Damascus’s outskirts and other regions.
Syrian media outlets published images showing a burnt van allegedly hit by the Israeli strikes, carrying humanitarian aid. This incident marked the second such attack within 24 hours. On Saturday, Israel reportedly struck a vehicle in northern Homs, along the Homs-Hama highway. Local sources reported one death and three injuries.
In a separate report, Israeli media claimed that Israel had assassinated a senior member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Homs, in the same region targeted by Israeli airstrikes.
