Atlas of Battles

campaign, notable, Cold War

Operation Mole Cricket 19

Operation Mole Cricket 19 was a campaign fought in 1982 at Beqaa Valley, in what is now Lebanon. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Beqaa Valley. It was part of the 1982 Lebanon War, which ran from 1982 to 1985. The recorded result: Decisive Israeli victory.

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Fought1982
WhereBeqaa Valley, Lebanon34.009N, 36.145E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeDecisive Israeli victory
BelligerentsIsrael (IAF)againstBa'athist Syria (SAAF)
Casualties and losses2 F-15 damaged; At least 1 UAV shot downand82–86 planes shot down; 29 SAM batteries destroyed
Part of1982 Lebanon War1982 to 1985

Where it sits in the 1982 Lebanon War

Battle of the Beaufort, 1982Battle of Jezzine, 1982Operation Mole Cricket 19, 1982KMT-KKS Battle, 1982Battle of Sultan Yacoub, 1982Battle of Machgara, 1982Siege of Beirut, 198219821982Operation Mole Cricket 19, 1982
7 placed engagements of the 1982 Lebanon War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1982 (year precision)
PlaceBeqaa Valley, Lebanon
34.009N, 36.145E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Strength90 aircraft (mostly F-15s and F-16s); 1 remotely piloted vehicle squadron; Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)100 aircraft (mostly ground attack MiG-21 and MiG-23, some MiG-23M air-to-air fighters); 30 SAM batteries
Casualties and losses2 F-15 damaged; At least 1 UAV shot down82–86 planes shot down; 29 SAM batteries destroyed
Commanders
  • Mustafa Tlass
  • Hafez al-Assad
Operation Mole Cricket 19Operation Mole Cricket 19Battle of al-BuqaiaBattle of QnatBattle of AnjarBattle of MaysalunBattle of Sultan YacoubBattle of QnatBattle of MaysalunBattle of Sultan YacoubHomsṬarābulusHaifaHamahTartusAd NabkAl QunaytirahNabatiye et Tahta100 km34.009N, 36.145E
Placed at Beqaa Valley; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1982

Operation Mole Cricket 19 is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 69 in present-day Lebanon.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2918913, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Mole Cricket 19, revision 1383392237, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.