Attack attributed to Israel kills Iranian soldiers in Syria

Continuing a long week of offensives and retaliations in the Middle East, a missile destroys a building in Damascus, killing members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Syrians and Iranians accuse Israel of an “act of aggression”. At least four members of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard were killed this Saturday (01/20) in bombing a residential building in Damascus, for which both Iran and Syria accused Israel.

“Once again the brutal and criminal Zionist regime committed an act of aggression against Damascus, the capital of Syria, and during the air attack by fighters from the aggressor and usurper regime, several Syrian soldiers and four military advisors from the Islamic Republic of Iran died,” he stated. the Revolutionary Guard in a statement.

The official Syrian news agency Sana reported briefly about “an attack on a residential building in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus as a result of Israeli aggression.” According to Iran's Student News Network, a media outlet considered close to the Basij branch of the guard, the men were believed to be members of the military organization's expeditionary Quds Force.

In turn, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that in the four-story residential building, which ended up completely destroyed, a meeting of “leaders aligned with Iran” was taking place. The alleged Israeli missile would have caused five deaths, according to a preliminary assessment.

Long chain of retaliations in the Middle East

On Tuesday morning, the Revolutionary Guard launched missiles at suspected Israeli targets in Iraqi Kurdistan, killing two individuals. In a statement, the organization stated that the target was the “center for developing espionage operations and planning terrorist actions in the region, and especially in our country”, belonging to the espionage services of the “Zionist entity” – as in Iran. usually refers to the State of Israel.

During the week, Tehran also bombed targets in Syria and Pakistan. The country justified these bombings as a response to the January attack against Kerman, which left 94 people dead; an attack on a police station that killed 11 officers; and the death of Iranian commanders and the so-called Axis of Resistance in recent weeks, in Syria and Iraq.

Iran is a key supporter of Damascus – its main Middle East ally – in the Syrian war, where it has sent soldiers and military advisers as well as provided economic and political support.

The current wave of bombings occurs at a time of great tension in the Middle East, amid repeated attacks by pro-Iran militias on United States positions in Iraq and Syria; in addition to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea.

In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli campaign, one of the deadliest in recent history, has already cost around 25,000 lives, according to Palestinian health authorities, and caused widespread destruction, causing the forced departure of more than 80% of the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza.

av (DW,EFE,Lusa)