19 Iranians among 42 killed in Israeli air strikes in Syria
beirut — A wave of Israeli strikes on suspected military positions in Syria this week killed 42 people, including at least 19 Iranians, a Syria war monitor reported on Saturday.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll from attacks early on Thursday has risen from 23 to 27, including at least 11 Iranians and six Syrian soldiers, including three officers.
Late on Tuesday, Syrian staterun media said Israel struck a military outpost near the capital Damascus, saying that its air defenses intercepted and destroyed two of the incoming missiles. The Observatory said at least 15 were killed,
The strikes were in response to a barrage of Iranian rockets on its positions in the occupied Golan Heights Israeli government
eight of them Iranians, including a member of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s elite force.
This brings to 42, including 19 Iranians, the total killed during the two days of strikes.
Syria blamed Israel for the Tuesday strikes that hit near the capital. Israel said its Thursday strikes were in response to a barrage of Iranian rockets on its positions in the occupied Golan Heights, the most serious military confrontation between the two bitter enemies to date.
The escalating confrontation between Israel and Iran has raised fears the region may be sliding into an unprecedented direct conflict between the two archenemies.
Israel’s defence minister called on Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad on Friday to rid his country of Iranian forces based there — warning their presence will only cause more trouble to the already warravaged country.
Avigdor Lieberman’s comments were followed by threats from an Iranian cleric that Tel Aviv or Haifa would be in danger if Israel did “anything foolish.” —