Syria Strikes Target Iranian-backed Fighters

Multiple air strikes attributed to Israel killed at least 18 Iran-backed fighters near the Syria-Iraq border on Sunday night. Jerusalem did not claim responsibility for the attacks, which reportedly also targeted bases manned by members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In response, the IDF said Shi’ite mercenaries operating under Iran’s command had fired rockets from the outskirts of Damascus that landed short of Israeli territory. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Israeli strikes targeted sites in Abu Kamal, in eastern Syria, where US media reported earlier this week that Tehran was constructing a massive military base to house thousands of troops as well as precision-guided missiles. According to Arab media, top Iranian leaders approved the covert project to build the “Imam Ali” compound, assigning it to Iran’s elite Quds Force.