Five people were killed in a missile attack on sites belonging to Iranian militias in the Deir Ezzor area of eastern Syria near the border with Iraq, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This is the second attack reported in the area this week.
The headquarters of an Iranian militia in the city of Albukamal and a site in Al-Jalaa located north of Albukamal were struck in the attack. No further information is currently available on the scale of damage or injuries. It is unclear if the explosions were caused by an airstrike or long-range missiles.
Earlier, Syrian media reported that an explosion was heard from inside the headquarters of an Iranian militia in Albukamal.
On Sunday, unidentified aircraft struck targets belonging to Iranian militias near Al-Mayadin east of Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, according to Deir EzZor 24, a local news source.
Powerful explosions were heard in the area as the attacks happened. According to Deir Ezzor 24, the attack was likely carried out by Israel and the target may have been an arms depot belonging to the Iranian militias.
The Syrian news source noted that Israeli aircraft have recently intensified air strikes on Iranian positions near Al-Bukamal, along the Syria-Iraq border. Al-Mayadin is located along the Euphrates.
On Sunday night, three people were killed in reported Israeli strikes in the Damascus area, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Hezbollah and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) members are located in the area.
A political adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameni told Russian media that "there will be a response to Israeli attacks in Syria sooner or later, through the Syrian and Lebanese people," according to Kan news.
Rumors spread that the IRGC's Aerospace commander, General Amir-Ali Hajizadeh, was killed in Israeli attacks on Sunday night, but Iranian media later stated that Hajizadeh is "in perfect health."
During the strikes local reports indicated several weapons warehouses were hit, causing material damages.
Al Akhbar, a Lebanese daily, said that a wave of missiles was allegedly spotted coming from near the Golan Heights and off the Lebanese coast over Sidon.
On Sunday night, it was reported that a UAV fell in the area of Aqraba in the outskirts of Damascus with the original target allegedly being an Iranian weapons storage facility.
Another report from Lebanon claimed that Israel was attacking in Syria from the skies of the Lebanese city of Sidon.
There were a total of 10 injuries reported, according to Arabic sources.
In November, 23 people were killed when the IDF struck tens of targets in Damascus, west of Damascus and the Syrian Golan Heights, belonging both to the regime of Bashar Assad and the Quds Force, within minutes in response to rockets that were launched towards Israel. All the targets were located within 80 km. of Israel’s border.
Multiple airstrikes have targeted Iranian forces and militias in eastern Syria in the past few months. At least two strikes targeted the area in December alone. A strategic border crossing between Iraq and Syria and the Iranian-controlled Imam Ali military base is located in the border town of Al-Bukamal.IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kochavi warned on Wednesday that the IDF is preparing for a limited confrontation with the Islamic Republic as Israel continues to act against Iranian entrenchment.
The IDF, he said, is carrying out operations both publicly and below-the-radar to prevent the enemy from obtaining precision missiles, even if those operations bring about a confrontation.
“We will not allow Iran to entrench itself in Syria, or in Iraq,” Kochavi said, publicly acknowledging for the first time the Israel Air Force has attacked against Iranian targets in Iraq.
Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post Staff and Anna Ahronheim contributed to this report.