Iranian-backed reinforcements coming from Iraq to Syria have been attacked by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in recent weeks, leaving at least 24 dead, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports.
The watchdog, which has assets in Syria, reported Saturday that as soon as Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias bring in military reinforcement from Iraq to their positions in the Deir Ezzor area in western Syria, the reinforcements are attacked by drones, believed to be Israeli, leaving “great material and human losses every time.”
However, the Iranians have not learned from the repeated attacks on the recently arrived military reinforcements, SOHR noted.
From mid-May to mid-June, the Syrian Observatory has documented 24 Iranian-backed militiamen who were killed in three separate attacks by drones on Iranian positions and vehicles in Deir Ezzor.
On June 6, the SOHR documented the killing of 12 Iranian-backed militiamen of Iraqi and Afghani nationalities, in addition to the destruction of vehicles and ammunition depots, following airstrikes on the headquarters of Iranian militias in the M’eizileh base in eastern Deir Ezzor.
On May 31, reliable SOHR sources confirmed that an unidentified aircraft targeted military vehicles belonging to Iranian-backed militias of non-Syrian nationality near the border crossing from Iraq into Syria. The airstrike killed five militiamen and destroyed three vehicles.
On May 16, unidentified aircraft targeted M’eizileh base. The attack came a few days after military reinforcements arrived at the base from the 47th brigade affiliated with the Iranian-backed militias.
According to SOHR sources, the attack killed seven Iranian-backed militiamen and resulted in the destruction of headquarters inside the base.
Israel has remained silent on the reports.
In general, Iran’s military build-up in Syria remains a red line for Israel. The Israeli Air Force has carried out thousands of attacks to thwart the Iranian entrenchment in the war-torn country.