Syria: five pro-Iranian soldiers killed by an air strike in the east of the country

Artillery pieces lined up near the town of Boukamal where five pro-Iranian soldiers lost their lives in an air strike on May 31, 2020 (illustration image). STRINGER / AFP

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At least five non-Syrian and Iranian-backed fighters were killed this Sunday, May 31, in an air strike in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

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With our correspondent in Beirut,Paul Khalifeh

An air strike targeted a military convoy near the town of Boukamal, not far from the Syrian-Iraqi border in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. Three vehicles belonging to pro-Iranian paramilitary forces were damaged.

The Boukamal region is considered an Iranian stronghold in Syria. Revolutionary Guards and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iraqi and Afghan Shiite militiamen are deployed there. The director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdel Rahmane, said that the Israeli air force "  is probably responsible  " for these raids, which were not reported by the Syrian or pro-Iranian media. However, they have been confirmed by sources close to Damascus.

Israel very rarely claims air attacks in Syria . But its political and military leaders have assured that the fight against Iranian influence in this country is a priority. In recent weeks, armed planes and drones have intensified raids on bases and forces close to Tehran.

Since early May, more than 20 pro-Iranian fighters have been killed in air strikes in eastern and northeastern Syria

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  • Syria
  • Iran