Israeli soldiers are seen next to an armored fighting vehicle in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, on Aug. 25, 2019. Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Aviv Kochavi said on Sunday that Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, masterminded a potential attack on Israel with "killer drones." On Saturday night, Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike on a compound southeast of Syria's capital Damascus where Soleimani's group was located, according to the Israeli military. (Photo by Ayal Margolin/JINI/Handout via Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army chief said on Sunday that Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force, masterminded a potential attack on Israel with "killer drones."
"He funded, coached and trained Shiite operatives who were supposed to carry it out," said Aviv Kochavi, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, in the video footage of a meeting of the Israeli Northern Command released by the military.
On Saturday night, Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike on a compound southeast of Syria's capital Damascus where Soleimani's group was located, according to the Israeli military.
At least three people died in the airstrike, local media reported.
Ronen Manelis, spokesman of the Israeli military, told reporters that the group included experts of the Quds Force, who arrived from Iran's capital Tehran "a few weeks ago" to train Shiite operatives in Syria.
The Israeli intelligence followed their movement in Syria from the moment they landed in Syria, Manelis said.
They were supposed to launch drones laden with explosives toward northern Israel to kill soldiers and civilians, he added, noting the drones were destroyed during the airstrike.
Meanwhile, Tamir Heyman, head of Israel's Intelligence Directorate, confirmed the airstrike thwarted an "imminent" Iranian attack.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also the Israeli defense minister, said the airstrike sent a "no immunity" message to Iran.
"We will not tolerate attacks on Israel from any state in the region," Netanyahu said during a security tour in northern Israel.
"Any state that will allow the use of its territory for attacks against Israel will bear the consequences," he added.
Israel considers Iran its arch-foe and has vowed not to allow Iran to establish a military foothold in Syria, where Iranian forces have been fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
Israel has carried out hundreds of deadly airstrikes in Syria, saying its attacks target weapons convoys to Hezbollah, a Lebanese powerful Shiite militant group.
U.S. officials recently said Israel was behind a mysterious airstrike in July on an Iranian weapons depot in Iraq. Israeli commentators suggested on Sunday that the Iranian potential attack on Israel was a "revenge" for the airstrike.
