Thirteen operatives were killed overnight in strikes against pro-Iranian militia targets in the Deir ez-Zor and Al-Bukamal regions in eastern Syria, London-based opposition war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the attacks targeted a farm in the town of Al Mayadin, two militia headquarters in Al-Bukamal, a headquarters in the Al-Abbas area and a residential neighborhood in Deir ez-Zor.
The scene of the attack in Deir ez-Zor
The Syrian Observatory reported that a "senior figure" was killed in the strike, which took place several hours after an Iranian cargo plane landed at the Deir ez-Zor airport, carrying Revolutionary Guard personnel and logistical equipment.
According to the Syrian Observatory, the plane arrived from Damascus and was loaded with communications equipment and cameras, which were then transported by truck to an unknown location.
Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese network Al Mayadeen reported overnight that the U.S. military carried out the strikes, but a senior American military official later denied this in a conversation with Al Jazeera. According to the official, there were no American strikes in Syria that night.
The Syrian Observatory reported that 12 of the casualties were pro-Iranian militia operatives, and one was Syrian. It indicated that at least the attack in Deir ez-Zor was likely carried out by Israel.
First published: 08:05, 03.26.24