Senior Iranian Officer Among 4 Killed in Israeli Damascus Strike

In a recent airstrike in Damascus’ Mazzeh neighborhood, four officers of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including the head of the Quds Force’s intelligence unit in Syria, were killed. The strike also claimed the life of Hezbollah official “Hajj Youness,” who was responsible for land-based weapon transfers from Iran. According to reports, the attack occurred during a meeting about shifting arms transportation from air to land.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that the airstrike resulted in five deaths in a building where leaders aligned with Iran were gathered. The Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, identified the Mazzeh neighborhood as a high-security area frequently occupied by leaders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and pro-Iran Palestinian factions.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the Observatory’s director, suggested that the airstrike was intentionally targeting senior members of these groups. Syrian state media also reported the strike, describing it as an attack on a residential building in the Mazzeh neighborhood due to Israeli aggression, though they did not provide casualty details.

At the scene, the AFP correspondent reported a large-scale search for survivors under the rubble of the completely collapsed building. The Mazzeh area is not only a residential zone but also houses the United Nations’ headquarters, various embassies, and restaurants.

A local resident described hearing the explosion, seeing a cloud of smoke, and hearing subsequent ambulance sirens. He likened the sound to that of a missile explosion.

Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria during its civil war, mainly targeting Iran-backed forces and Syrian army positions. The intensity of these attacks has increased since the conflict between Israel and Hamas, an ally of Iran, started on October 7. These strikes, often unacknowledged by Israel, are part of its broader strategy to prevent Iran from establishing a stronger foothold in Syria.

This conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, causing immense human suffering with over half a million lives lost and several million people displaced.