Israeli airstrikes were conducted in eastern Syria, specifically in the regions of Deir Ezzor and al-Bukamal, close to the Iraq border. These operations aimed at Iranian assets and operatives implicated in a plot to smuggle advanced weaponry to terrorists in the West Bank. The Times of Israel sources indicated that the targets included Iran’s Unit 4000, the Special Operations Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Intelligence Organization, and Unit 18840, the special operations unit of the IRGC’s Quds Force in Syria.
The  action was a direct response to foiled smuggling attempts by these Iranian units, as announced by the Shin Bet on Monday. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the airstrikes resulted in over 15 fatalities, predominantly among pro-Iran fighters, including an IRGC official. Among the deceased was Behrouz Vahedi, an officer of the Quds Force, as confirmed by Iran’s state news agency IRNA.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights further detailed that a villa in Deir Ezzor city, described as a communications center and housing IRGC personnel along with technical equipment, was destroyed. Additionally, a separate strike in al-Bukamal claimed the lives of four fighters, with nine of the overall deceased being Iraqi nationals. Contrary to the Syrian state-run SANA broadcaster’s attribution of the strikes to the United States, a US defense official refuted any involvement, clarifying that no airstrikes were conducted by the United States during that time frame.
Israel’s strategy of conducting airstrikes on Iran-linked targets within Syria has been a longstanding one, primarily aiming at countering Tehran’s growing influence in the region since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011. These operations have intensified following the October 7 massacre by the Iran-backed Hamas, leading to an escalated military response against Iranian-backed targets and some Syrian military assets within Syria.
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