Israeli retaliatory airstrikes on Iranian military targets in Syria and on Syrian missile batteries killed 11 people Wednesday, including seven foreign combatants, an observer group reported Wednesday morning.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli airstrikes hit Al-Kiswah, near Damascus, Sa’sa and, next to the Golan Heights, Mezzeh Military Airport in Damascus, Jdeidat Artouz between Damascus and the Golan Heights, as well as Damascus suburbs Qudsaya and Sahnaya south of the capital.
The report claimed that multiple weapons depots operated by Iran’s Quds Force were destroyed in the attacks, along with Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries.
Eleven fatalities have been confirmed, SOHR said, including seven ‘foreign combatants’, a phrase used by the observatory usually to refer to Iranian soldiers operating in Syria, though the group could not confirm if all of the seven foreign soldiers were Iranian.
"We cannot confirm whether the seven foreigners were all Iranian or pro-Iranian fighters of different nationalities," the head of the London-based group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.
The IDF confirmed that it struck Iranian targets in Syria Wednesday morning, along with Syrian air defense positions.
"Moments ago, IDF jets completed strikes on numerous military targets in Syria belonging to the Iranian Quds Force, after yesterday’s rocket fire at Israel by those forces. We are prepared to operate as necessary to defend Israel, and the region, against Iranian entrenchment," said IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus.
The strikes came a day after four rockets were launched from Syria towards the Golan Heights. The rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.
A senior Israeli security official said the IDF hit nearly two dozen Iranian targets in Syria, including the Quds Force’s central command center.