Israel Bombs Building in Damascus Where "Iran-aligned Leaders" Were Present (image@ IDF)
Israel today bombed building in Syria’s Damascus where “Iran-aligned leaders” were reportedly present. 5 were reported to be killed in the bombing. The bombing came amid the soaring regional tension over the Israel-Hamas war. Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “an Israeli missile strike targeted a four-storey building, killing five people…and destroying the whole building where Iran-aligned leaders were meeting”, as reported by media.
Iran confirmed that four of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have been killed in the air strike, along with several members of Syrian armed forces. In a brief statement, IRGC said that “once more the criminal Zionist regime has moved to violate the city of Damascus”.
British-based monitor with sources in the region said the targeted neighbourhood is know to be a high-security region, which is home to leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and pro-Iran Palestinian factions. “They were for sure targeting senior members”, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the director of the Observatory.
The official news agency of the region SANA, said that, “an attack targeted a residential building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood in Damascus resulting from an Israeli aggression”. The media did not report about the casualties. The Mazzeh area is reported to be home to several UN headquarters, embessies and restaurants.
Israel has launched more hundreds of airstrikes during the decade long civil war in Syria. The primary target of the bombings were Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions. Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, the Israeli air strike in the region was intensified.
In December, an Israeli air strike killed senior general of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Razi Moussavi. The cross-border clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon also increased. While Israel never commented on individual air strikes, it continuously asserted that it will never allow Iran, which is Israel’s “arch nemesis”, to expand Bashar al-Assad’s government.
Since 2011, Syria witnessed bloody conflicts which claimed lives of half a million of its citizens and displaced other several million.
with inputs from agencies.
