Iranian state television stated, “The Israeli raid on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus was a targeted attack to assassinate the senior commander of the Quds Force, Mohammad Reza Zahedi.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also confirmed the killing of a high-ranking leader who served as commander of the Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon, Iranian advisors, and 5 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, in a preliminary outcome of Israeli strikes on a building belonging to the Iranian embassy in Mezzeh, the capital, Damascus.
Who is Zahedi?
Zahedi is considered one of the senior commanders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. He served as Deputy Chief of Operations from 2015 to 2018. He also commanded the Guard’s air and ground forces between 2004 and 2007.
Zahedi participated in commanding a battalion in the Revolutionary Guards in the Iran-Iraq war, as well as in the war in Syria.
Israeli Army Radio said, “Mohammad Reza Zahedi is not only a high-ranking Iranian military figure, but also a man with great seniority and experience.”
An American defense official told Sky News Arabia, “The assassinated Quds Force leader has been responsible for the Quds Force’s activity in Syria and Lebanon for decades and always moves between Beirut and Damascus.”
Damascus strike
On Monday, Syrian official television revealed that “Israeli strikes targeted the Iranian consulate building in Damascus.”
The Syrian Arab News Agency quoted a military source as saying: “At approximately 17:00 this evening, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting the Iranian consulate building in Damascus.”
He continued: “Our air defense forces responded to the aggression's missiles and shot down some of them. The aggression led to the destruction of the entire building and the killing and wounding of everyone inside. Work is underway to recover the bodies of the dead, treat the wounded, and remove the rubble.”
For his part, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahman, reported that there had been an “Israeli attack” targeting a building attached to the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
#Israel #kills #senior #commander #Quds #Force #Damascus.
