Homs, a Syrian soldier and three Iranian militiamen killed in Israeli raid

The attack struck the Palmyra region, hitting a communications tower and several targets in the area. Damascus' defense system intercepted several other missiles. Seven other people were wounded. Last week, a similar raid in the same area killed two militiamen.

Damascus (AsiaNews/Agencies) - A new raid by the Israeli Air Force against sensitive targets in the province of Homs, in the center of Syria has killed a Syrian army soldier and three pro-Iranian fighters who operate on Syrian soil in support of Bashar al-Assad.

The news was reported by  the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (NGO based in the United Kingdom and a dense network of correspondents in the territory). A note of the official Sana agency explains: "Around 23.34 local time the Israeli enemy conducted an air aggression [...] in the region of Palmyra, hitting a communication tower and several targets in the surrounding area". 

The Israeli air raid - which flew over the border triangle between Iraq, Syria and Jordan - allegedly hit several Iranian positions around the air base called T4, including a communication tower.

The same Observatory sources add that the nationality of the killed pro-Iranian fighters is not known at the moment and the Syrian air defense system intercepted several missiles before they could reach their intended targets. Seven other people, including three Syrian soldiers, were wounded. 

Last week there was a similar attack against the base, also by fighters with the Star of David, in which two militiamen linked to Teheran died, at least six were wounded. Israel very rarely confirms its attacks in neighboring Syria, but at the same time warns that it will not allow Damascus to become the bridgehead of Iranian forces, its sworn enemy.

In the past, Israel has carried out numerous operations in Syria and Lebanon, thanks to the green disk received by the then US President Donald Trump, who during his four years in office has formed a strong alliance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Syria alone, 50 operations against strategic targets were recorded in 2020, according to Israeli military sources. The situation does not seem to have changed under the new administration led by Democrat Joe Biden, who so far has tolerated - if not authorized - Israeli military operations across the border that in many cases also involve Lebanese territory. 

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