At least two members of a pro-government militia were killed in an Israeli strike on the Syrian port of Latakia on Tuesday, a war monitor said on Wednesday.
The strike caused significant damage with stacks of containers catching fire, and marked the second time that Israel has hit the key cargo hub since the outbreak of Syria's civil war in 2011.
2 View gallery
The scene of a purported Israeli missile attack at the seaport of the coastal city of Latakia, Syria
(Photo: AP)
"Two members of a pro-regime militia were killed in the Israeli strike," the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"They had suffered serious wounds and succumbed to their injuries" in hospital in Latakia on Wednesday.
Three other militia fighters were also wounded.
Syrian state media said the containers hit in the strikes carried "engine oil and spare parts for cars and other vehicles".
But the Observatory said the cargo was "arms and munitions".
Since the start of the conflict, Israel has routinely carried out air strikes on its strife-torn neighbor, mostly targeting Syrian government troops as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.
So far this year, Israel has targeted Syria nearly 30 times, killing 130 people including five civilians and 125 loyalist fighters, according to Observatory figures.
The Israeli military has defended the strikes as a necessary measure to prevent its arch-foe Iran from gaining a foothold on its doorstep.