Iran unleashed a fresh wave of attacks on Israel early Saturday aimed at military targets as Jewish media reported huge explosions as Iranian missiles rain down on a number of cities. "New round of Honest Promise 3 attacks," Iran’s state television reported, referring to the name of the Iranian military operation against Israel, following deadly Israeli strikes on the Islamic republic. Reports say missiles were launched from the capital, Tehran, and Kermanshah, in western Iran, toward targets deep inside Israel.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Israeli targets on Friday evening, after Israeli aggression targeted locations, including residential buildings, inside iran killing nearly 80 people. Vivid images and footage captured by Israelis show Iranian missiles exploding upon impact and creating massive fireballs. A senior Iranian military official, General Ahmad Vahidi said “Operation True Promise 3” will continue for as long as necessary.

Overnight on Friday, the Israeli regime began a series of military strikes in and near the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities. Simultaneously, and anticipating a devastating Iranian response, Israeli minister for military affairs Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel. The Israeli military also carried out targeted strikes against Iran’s top military brass.

Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri and Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami were killed in Tehran. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed new top military brass on the same day. According to Iran’s envoy to the United Nations Sa’eed Iravani, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed and 320 injured so far in Israeli strikes.

Meanwhile, in central Tehran, air defence systems were engaging Israeli drones and quadcopters, whizzing over neighbourhoods in the night sky. Two Israeli warplanes were shot down by Iran’s air defences and the pilot of one of these warplanes, who is a woman, has been captured. Iranian forces also shot down Israeli drones on a reconnaissance mission over the northwest on Saturday, state media reported, as exchanges of fire between the two sides continued.

"Islamic fighters (Iranian forces) in the Salmas border region successfully shot down Israeli drones that had violated the country's airspace," state television said, adding that the "drones had entered Iranian airspace on espionage and reconnaissance missions." The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said that the missile it launched during Operation True Promise III targeted the Zionist regime’s airbases that were used as launch sites for attacks on Iran.

“In this operation, the missile and drone units of the IRGC Aerospace Force employed a combination of precision-guided and smart missile systems to strike military centres, airbases used as launch sites for the criminal aggression against our nation, as well as military-industrial facilities instrumental in producing missiles and other weaponry for the Zionist regime’s army to commit crimes against the resistant nations of the region—particularly the oppressed people of Palestine and Gaza.

These targets, along with other military objectives deep within the occupied territories, were successfully hit,” the IRGC said in a statement. “Field reports, satellite imagery, and intelligence intercepts confirm the effective impact of dozens of ballistic missiles on strategic targets (in occupied Palestine).

Despite the enemy’s claims of interception, they failed to counter the waves of missile attacks launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the statement added. Operation True Promise III was carried out in compliance with the directive of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Armed Forces and in response to the demand of the noble Iranian people, the statement went on to say.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)