At least 12 Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members, including a top commander, were killed in a strike on Syria overnight Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Tuesday.
The U.K.-based war monitor said that the “unknown aerial bombardment” had targeted IRGC-affiliated militia sites in the Deir ez-Zor Governorate of eastern Syria.
Reports of US air strikes against Iranian IRGC militia commanders in eastern Syria. https://t.co/sbasOqdy1s
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Local Syrian media reported that the commander of IRGC-affiliated forces in eastern Syria, known as “al-Haj Askar,” was seriously wounded in one of the strikes, while other reports indicated he was killed. A Hezbollah commander, called “Haj Hassan,” was moderately wounded, according to the Deir Ezzor 24 Network, which attributed the attacks to “American warplanes.”
The local Sham FM radio stated that a “U.S. aggression” had targeted several points in the cities of Deir ez-Zor, al-Mayadeen and al-Bukamal.
According to SOHR, 12 non-Syrian IRGC members were killed, along with one Syrian national. In addition, 36 were wounded, including 26 belonging to Iran-backed militias.
The airstrikes were reportedly launched a few hours after the arrival of an Iranian transport plane from Damascus to Deir ez-Zor airport.