Iran-backed forces killed in Israeli strike on weapons depot in Syria
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that three Iran-backed militiamen were killed in an Israeli attack on a weapons and ammunition depot near Damascus. SANA, Syria’s official news agency, stated that four soldiers were killed in the strike.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in London, announced that Israel’s nighttime attacks on Syrian regime positions in the Damascus suburbs killed three Iran-backed militiamen.
According to France Press, the attacks near Syria’s capital targeted “a weapons depot that was likely used by Lebanon’s Hezbollah militiamen” and other Iran-backed militias. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it could not determine the identities of the three killed militiamen but stated that all of them were non-Syrian.
Syria’s official news agency SANA confirmed the attacks and reported the death of 4 soldiers.
Citing a military source, SANA said: “Around 12:56 p.m. [last night], the Israeli army launched a missile attack from Lebanese territory on positions near Damascus.”
SANA added: “Our air defense intercepted the aggression and destroyed most of the missiles.” According to the news agency, the attacks also caused “material damage.” SANA did not provide further details about the targets of the strikes.
However, Al Arabiya reported that “several positions, including weapons and ammunition depots belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and militias linked to the Iranian regime in the Damascus suburbs” were destroyed in the operation.
According to Middle East News, local sources told “Al Arabi Al Jadeed” that this was Israel’s eighth attack since the beginning of the new calendar year on military positions in western and southern Damascus. These sources suggested that the number of casualties could be high, evidenced by the sound of ambulance sirens that appeared to be transporting the wounded.
According to these sources, who requested anonymity, the Israeli attack on western Damascus was concentrated around “Douma suburb” and the “Sahara” depot on the “Al-Dimas” road. The attack also targeted a scientific research center in “Jamraya” and a military base around the First Corps in the “Al-Kiswah” area in southern Damascus.
Middle East News also reports that a journalist based in “Douma suburb” described the attack to “Al Arabi Al Jadeed” as “very terrifying” compared to previous strikes.
Since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, Israel has repeatedly attacked positions of Iran-backed militias, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, and forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Israel rarely claims responsibility for the attacks, but the Israeli military has stated that it carried out 50 strikes on targets in Syria last year.
Source: DW
