18 killed in aerial attack on Iranian targets in Syria on Iraqi border

Syrian opposition activists in the UK have reported unidentified aircraft destroyed targets immediately prior to missile launch by pro-Iranian militias in eastern Syria, killing 18 in an area where Iran is allegedly building its largest military base to date in the war-torn country.

By Daniel Salami

 

Israeli military said pro-Iranian militias in Syria made a fail attempt to launch missiles into Israel shorty before they’d been attacked by warplanes in a village bordering Iraq.

Iran launches rocket – Photo: Ynet [unattributed]

Syrian opposition activists on Monday said at least 18 people have been killed in an aerial attack targeting pro-Iranian militias in the town of Al Bukamal in eastern Syria. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attacks by unknown warplanes, which have targeted an arms depot, began late Sunday and continued after midnight.

The observatory said at least three explosions had been heard in the area.

Two local activist collectives in eastern Syria – the Euphrates Post and the Sound and Pictures – also reported the airstrikes in Boukamal, without giving a death toll. The Sound and Pictures said the strikes hit an arms depot for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a mostly Iran-backed Shiite militias.

The observatory said at least three explosions had been heard in the area.

Two local activist collectives in eastern Syria – the Euphrates Post and the Sound and Pictures – also reported the airstrikes in Boukamal, without giving a death toll. The Sound and Pictures said the strikes hit an arms depot for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces, a mostly Iran-backed Shiite militias.

Earlier, the Saudi Al Arabiya newspaper also reported the strikes targeted positions belonging to the Iran-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah.

Last week, Fox News reported the Islamic Republic has established its largest military base in Syria to day, located near the area attacked by unknown warplanes on Sunday. According to the report, Iran is in the process of moving thousands of troops into the facility.

The satellite images, obtained through Western intelligence sources, show the military compound has been constructed on the Syria-Iraq border near near Al Bukamal, where Israel reportedly attacked Iranian targets on several occasions over the past few months.

Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and has allegedly struck Iran-linked targets as far away as Iraq in recent weeks.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5584806,00.html