Israeli attack: six dead after explosion near Iranian embassy in Syria

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Six people were killed in an explosion right next to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus, activists said. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported this on Monday. It initially remained unclear whether the affected building belonged to the embassy complex, as did the cause of the explosion. Syrian and Iranian media spoke of an airstrike by the Israeli army.

Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), is believed to have been killed in the attack. This is reported by Reuters, among others, based on security sources. Zahedi is considered a top commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force.

The ambassador was unharmed

According to the Iranian state broadcaster, there were probably no employees in the embassy building due to a religious holiday. State media reported that Iranian Ambassador Hussein Akbari and his family were unharmed.

The Israeli air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria and, according to its own statements, wants to prevent Iran and its allied militias, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, from expanding their military influence in the country. The number of attacks has increased since the Gaza war began almost six months ago. Targets near Damascus were already bombed on Sunday.

On Friday, more than fifty people were killed in heavy airstrikes in the northwestern Syrian province of Aleppo. According to the Observatory for Human Rights, most of the victims were Syrian soldiers. Members of the Shiite Hezbollah militia were also among the victims, it was said. However, such high numbers of casualties from suspected Israeli airstrikes are rare. (SDA)

Source: Blick