Jerusalem, Undefined – The head of Israel’s military said Wednesday that Israeli commandos had operated secretly inside Iran during the countries’ 12-day war.
“We achieved full control over Iranian airspace and in every location where we chose to operate,” chief of staff Eyal Zamir said in a televised address.
“This was made possible thanks to, among other things, coordination and tactical deception carried out by our air force and ground commando units,” he added.
“The forces operated in secret deep within enemy territory and created operational freedom of action for us.”
Both countries have claimed victory in the conflict since a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday.
The war erupted on June 13 when Israel launched a surprise bombing campaign that it said aimed to stop Iran developing a nuclear weapon — an ambition Iran has consistently denied.
Zamir was the first Israeli official to say publicly that Israeli soldiers had operated on the ground in Iran.
“The campaign is not yet finished,” he added. “We must remain on guard — many challenges await.”
myl-rlp/smw
