TEL AVIV – Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria early Wednesday, killing dozens of people, according to independent war monitors, in one of the deadliest raids on Iranian-backed militia.
The strikes took place in several places, including in and near the cities of Deir Ezzour, Mayadeen and al-Boukamal on the border between Syria and Iraq, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA. According to the Syrian state media and Suhaib Jaber, who heads the Euphrates Post, an independent war monitor, the strikes are aimed at Syrian government positions, weapons depots and pro-Iranian militias.
According to Omar Abu Layla, head of activist network Deir Ezzor24, about 40 members of the forces affiliated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were killed in the strike.
Israel’s military did not want to comment on the strike.
“Israel is determined to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria,” said Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s community affairs minister and a member of the security cabinet. But he declined to comment specifically on the latest strike.