6 Syrian and Iranian-back Fighters Killed in Airstrike Near Damascus, War Monitor Says

At least six pro-government fighters, including Syrian troops, were killed in an airstrike allegedly carried out by Israel overnight, which targeted positions held by Iran-backed groups near the capital Damascus, a war monitor reported. The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency also reported the airstrike, saying that Syrian air defenses had intercepted most of the missiles shot by “the Israeli enemy” but that three Syrian soldiers had been killed. The strike came around 1:10 am Thursday morning, hours after Israel apparently dropped leaflets warning Syrian soldiers that they could be targeted for collaborating with Tehran’s proxy terrorist group, Hizbullah. “To the leaders and members of the Syrian army, we have warned you and continue to warn you, we will not stop as long as your cooperation with Hizbullah continues” the leaflets read. It is the fourth time this month that airstrikes attributed to Israel have been reported inside Syria in a campaign against the pro-Iranian forces supporting the government of Bashar Assad. “Israeli strikes killed six people, including two Syrian troops and four Iran-backed militia fighters whose nationalities remain unknown,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.