Syria Blames Israel for Airstrikes that Kill 23 Fighters, Iranians

JERUSALEM, Israel – Syria says Israel is responsible for airstrikes that killed at least 23 foreign fighters in the country on Thursday.

While Israel did not comment on the strikes, the Israeli military has carried out many similar attacks throughout the years to deter Iran from entrenching itself in Syria.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the early morning attacks killed three Iranians and seven Iranian-backed fighters near Kisweh south of the capital. Five Syrian members of a pro-Iran militia were killed in the southern province of Daraa and eight Syrian air defense forces died in Mezzeh and Jisr Baghdad.

Iran backs Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, along with Russia and pro-Iranian militias in Syria.

Syria’s official state news SANA reported that Syrian air defenses responded to two waves of Israeli attacks just after midnight.

The Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow claimed on Friday that Syrian air defenses nearly hit a civilian airplane carrying 172 passengers from Tehran to Damascus. The plane reportedly made an emergency landing at the Russian-controlled Khemeimim airbase.

The IDF has previously admitted to carrying out hundreds of airstrikes against Syria, but the military rarely comments on specific attacks.  The IDF has also confirmed conducting airstrikes in Iraq against Iranian entrenchment there too.

Thursday’s attacks come just a month after US airstrikes killed Iranian Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani.

An IDF Military Intelligence assessment given to the government last month suggested that Soleimani’s death could open the door for Israel to deter or stop Iranian entrenchment in Syria and other parts of the region.

Last month, Syria accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on the T-4 military airport near Homs. The base is believed to be used by Iranian forces and militias there.