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Airstrikes kill 18 pro-Iran fighters in eastern Syria
Source: The Guardian
Airstrikes kill 18 pro-Iran fighters in eastern Syria
Israel does not comment on attack but says militia fired rockets towards its territory
Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Mon 9 Sep 2019 16.07 BST
First published on Mon 9 Sep 2019 06.46 BST
Unclaimed airstrikes in eastern Syria have killed 18 Iranian and pro-Iran fighters, according to a war monitoring group, as tensions around Tehran’s military presence in the region intensify.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes in and around the town of Abu Kamal began late on Sunday and continued after midnight, targeting bases, arms depots and vehicles.
Suspicion is likely to fall on Israel, which has conducted hundreds of bombing raids in the country, often against Iranian military assets and personnel. It accuses Tehran of using Syria, which neighbours Israel, as a base to attack it.
The Israel Defence Forces did not comment on whether it was behind the attack. Later on Monday the Israeli military said an Iranian-backed Shia militia on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, had fired “a number of rockets” towards Israel. All failed to hit Israeli territory, it said. It was not clear if the attempted rocket attacks against Israel were a response to the bombing raid.
-snip-
Israel does not comment on attack but says militia fired rockets towards its territory
Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Mon 9 Sep 2019 16.07 BST
First published on Mon 9 Sep 2019 06.46 BST
Unclaimed airstrikes in eastern Syria have killed 18 Iranian and pro-Iran fighters, according to a war monitoring group, as tensions around Tehran’s military presence in the region intensify.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes in and around the town of Abu Kamal began late on Sunday and continued after midnight, targeting bases, arms depots and vehicles.
Suspicion is likely to fall on Israel, which has conducted hundreds of bombing raids in the country, often against Iranian military assets and personnel. It accuses Tehran of using Syria, which neighbours Israel, as a base to attack it.
The Israel Defence Forces did not comment on whether it was behind the attack. Later on Monday the Israeli military said an Iranian-backed Shia militia on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, Damascus, had fired “a number of rockets” towards Israel. All failed to hit Israeli territory, it said. It was not clear if the attempted rocket attacks against Israel were a response to the bombing raid.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/09/hezbollah-says-it-has-downed-israeli-drone-over-lebanon