Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard reported that two of its forces stationed in Syria were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Saturday. The two members, identified as Mohammad Ali Ataei Shourcheh and Panah Taghizadeh, were carrying out an advisory mission in Syria. The airstrikes hit several areas on the outskirts of Damascus, resulting in only material losses, according to Syrian state media.
The strikes hit the southern Damascus suburb of Sayyida Zeinab, where there are military forces working with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strike killed two Syrian citizens, two foreigners, and wounded five others. The development is expected to heighten tensions between Israel and Iran, with the latter being a staunch supporter of the militant Palestinian group Hamas.
Iran’s military presence in Syria has been a major concern for Israel, which has vowed to stop Iranian entrenchment along its northern border. It has been reported that Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of Syria, though Israel rarely acknowledges such strikes. Iran has been a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s 12-year civil war. Thousands of Iran-backed fighters have been deployed in Syria where they helped tip the balance of power in Assad’s favor over the past years.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began, Israel has carried out several strikes targeting Syria, putting the international airports of Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo out of commission for more than a month. This latest incident is expected to further escalate tensions in the region.
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