Israeli strikes kill Iran Guards, Tehran-backed fighters in Syria

Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of two Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers and two pro-Hezbollah fighters when they hit sites belonging to the Lebanese group near Damascus Saturday, reported AFP.

The strikes occurred less than 24 hours after a seven-day pause in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah ally Hamas in Gaza.

Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the IRGC officers were the intended targets, and the strikes occurred shortly after they entered the Hezbollah site.

On Saturday, the IRGC accused Israel of killing two of its members in Syria where they had been on an advisory mission.

“Mohammed Ali Ataei Shoorcheh and Panah Taghizadeh… were martyred by the Zionist usurper enemy while conducting an advisory mission in the Syrian Islamic resistance front,” the Guards’ Sepah News website said.

It did not say when or where they were killed.

Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour since Syria’s civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces including Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.

But it has intensified attacks since its war with Hamas began in October. Hamas last year said it had restored relations with Syria’s government.

With inputs from AFP