Israel blamed as airstrikes kills up to 7 at Iranian sites in Syria

Attacks occur within hours of each other in the southern, central and eastern parts of the country.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Syria accused Israel of three air attacks Tuesday night on Iranian-backed military sites in the southern, central and eastern parts of the country that killed seven military personnel.

According to SANA, the regime-backed news agency, “Syrian air defenses… downed a large number of missiles” before they reached their targets, although “two soldiers were martyred” and four or five others were injured in the attacks.

The SANA article minimized the efficacy of the strikes overall, saying that the missiles “only caused material damage.” However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that an onion factory near Al-Salamiya, “which is used by Iranian militias as depots of their weapons and ammunition,” was hit, “causing violent explosions.”

Another SOHR report said seven were killed all together, including five pro-Iranian fighters in a strike “targeting several positions of Iranian-backed militias … in eastern Syria” that “destroyed a military center.”

It confirmed the military deaths, saying, “At least two soldiers of the regime air defense were killed” in a strike on a communications and radar center in the southern Al-Sweida province, which caused “extensive damage to the communications tower.” An unknown number were injured in the attacks as well, said the report.

While the IDF declined to comment on the reported air raids, Israel has made no secret of its intentions to drive Iran out of Syria and has admitted to over a thousand strikes on its belligerent northern neighbor.

Maj. Gen. (res.)  Amos Yadlin, who heads the Institute for National Security Studies, warned on Wednesday that Iran is starting to retaliate against Israel on several fronts.

“An attack near Sweida shows that Iran is broadening its presence in the sensitive area of the ‎Mountain of the Druze as well. This area includes the area to which the Russians committed that Iran and Hezbollah ‎would have no access,” the former head of military intelligence tweeted.

“After failing in the past to respond with rocket fire, they have recently tried responding through cyber‎attacks. We must be prepared for the entire scope of possible responses from the Shiite axis, where ‎‎[Hezbollah head Hassan] Nasrallah is entering [assassinated Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem] Soleimani’s shoes ‎as the chief strategist and operator,” he added.