Israel kills nine people in Syria in a deadly air raid

According to a war monitor, Israeli airstrikes near Damascus killed nine people, including five Syrian soldiers. This is the most deadly airstrikes since the beginning of 2022.

A missile attack on a military base and several positions associated with Iran’s presence in Syria was reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Among the five casualties, four were confirmed by Syrian state media. There was no comment from Israel.

SANA news agency reports that Israel launched an air attack on Damascus at dawn yesterday, targeting multiple positions.

“An investigation revealed four soldiers were killed, three wounded, and material damage was observed.”

Earlier this month, another strike happened near Damascus without casualties, SANA reports.

According to the UK-based Observatory, an additional eight people were wounded in the strikes, which relies on reliable sources across Syria.

Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said those killed were not Syrian military personnel but Iran-backed militiamen, but he could not verify their nationality.

According to Abdel Rahman, several Israeli settlements are being targeted.

According to AFP correspondents, loud explosions have been heard in Damascus.

Since the war in Syria erupted in 2011, Israel has conducted dozens of airstrikes targeting government positions and allied forces backed by Iran, including Hezbollah.

Despite rarely mentioning personal attacks, Israel has admitted hundreds have been conducted since 2011.

The Israeli military has defended them to prevent Iran from gaining a foothold on its doorstep. The presence of Iranians near Israel’s northern border is also considered a red line.

In early March, Israel struck targets in Syria, killing two of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members.

Founded after the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps exerts considerable political and economic influence in Iran.

In addition to being listed as a terrorist group by the US, Quds Force is the guard’s arm for foreign operations.

Peaceful protests were brutally suppressed during the Syrian conflict, and foreign powers and global armed groups were drawn in. Approximately 500,000 people have been killed, and half the population has been displaced. – UN agencies