20-1-2024 (DAMASCUS) In a recent escalation of hostilities, an Israeli missile strike targeted the Syrian capital, Damascus, resulting in the death of four members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Among the casualties was the head of the force’s information unit in Syria, according to a security source cited by Reuters.
Israel has a history of conducting bombing campaigns against Iran-linked targets in Syria. The intensity of these strikes has increased, particularly after the October 7 attack on Israel by militants associated with the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas from Gaza.
Syrian state media reported the targeting of a building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood of Damascus in what is believed to be another Israeli attack. While specific details were not provided, local Syrian media indicated that explosions were heard across the capital.
The security source, affiliated with groups close to the Syrian government and Iran, stated that the multi-storey building was utilized by Iranian advisers supporting President Bashar al-Assad’s government. The structure was reportedly entirely destroyed by “precision-targeted Israeli missiles.”
Press TV, Iran’s state-run media outlet, confirmed that two Iranian Guards military advisers lost their lives in the Israeli strike on Damascus. As of now, there has been no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
Essam Al-Amin, the head of Al-Mowasat Hospital in Damascus, reported receiving one corpse and three wounded individuals, including a woman, following the attack on Saturday.
A spokesperson for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad informed Reuters that no members of their group were injured in the strike, countering earlier reports suggesting their presence at the targeted building.
This incident follows a pattern of heightened tensions, with a previous Israeli strike in December claiming the lives of two Guards members in Damascus. Another strike on December 25 resulted in the death of a senior adviser to the Guards, overseeing military coordination between Syria and Iran.
