East Syria Airstrikes Result in 23 Fatalities, Including 4 Hezbollah Members

Airstrikes in eastern Syria, suspected to be conducted by Israel, have led to the deaths of at least 23 pro-Iran fighters on Saturday, according to a war monitoring group. This includes five Syrians, four members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah, six Iraqis, and eight Iranians. The strikes occurred near the Iraqi border and involved at least nine pre-dawn raids. The U.S. military has denied involvement, with an official stating that the U.S. did not conduct any defensive strikes overnight.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes targeted military positions in Albu Kamal and surrounding areas in Deir Ezzor province. These included a weapons shipment from Iraq and an ammunition warehouse.

Israel, while typically not commenting on specific strikes, has consistently expressed its intention to prevent Iran, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, from establishing a strong presence in Syria.

Additionally, on the same day, the Observatory reported that Israeli missiles hit warehouses and bases of pro-Iran groups near Aleppo’s airport, resulting in four foreign fighters’ deaths. Syrian state media also reported an Israeli air attack around 5:20 pm local time south of Aleppo.

Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes in Syria during its decade-long civil war, mainly targeting Iran-backed forces and Syrian army positions. This activity has increased since the conflict with Hamas began on October 7.

Hezbollah, a group backed by Iran, acknowledged the deaths of four of its fighters but did not specify when or where they were killed. Frequent cross-border fire exchanges have occurred between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Early Saturday, in southern Syria’s Quneitra province, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an “Israeli ground bombardment” reportedly killed two fighters from a Hezbollah-affiliated group.

The Israeli army confirmed multiple strikes in Syria in response to rockets fired from the country into areas under Israeli control.

The Middle East has also experienced a rise in attacks on U.S. forces, which the U.S. attributes to pro-Tehran groups. Many of these attacks have been claimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an alliance of Iran-linked armed groups opposing U.S. support for Israel.

The Observatory noted late Saturday attacks on two U.S. bases in Deir Ezzor province, believed to be conducted by Iran-backed groups using rockets and drones.