Israeli raids in Syria left eleven dead, three Syrian soldiers, seven fighters from pro-Iranian militias and a civilian on Monday evening, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (OSDH) announced on Tuesday.

The raids targeted Syrian army positions southwest of Damascus and others belonging to pro-Iranian groups, including the Lebanese Hezbollah in the southern province of Daraa.

Shots from the Golan Heights

They killed eleven: a Syrian woman, three Syrian soldiers and seven foreign fighters, part of the pro-Iranian militias fighting in Syria, said Rami Abdel Rahmane, director of OSDH.

He did not say whether Hezbollah fighters were among the victims.

A first assessment of this NGO based in the United Kingdom on the night of Monday to Tuesday reported five deaths.

The official Syrian agency Sana, quoting a military source, had announced in the night that "the Israeli enemy targeted the southern region with missiles and our air defense responded".

Stating that the shots came from the Golan Heights occupied by Israel, the agency said two soldiers were killed, as well as a civilian, a woman, and seven soldiers wounded.

Raids rarely claimed

Since the conflict in Syria began in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of raids against regime forces but also against its allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Israel, which rarely confirms its operations in Syria, insists that it will not let Syria become a bridgehead for Tehran.

This is the second such incident in August.

On August 3, Israel - a rare occurrence - claimed responsibility for strikes on the southern province of Qouneitra in retaliation for "attempts" to place homemade bombs along its disputed border with Syria.

On July 20, five pro-Iran fighters, including a member of Hezbollah, were killed in Israeli strikes south of Damascus, according to OSDH.

On Sunday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah warned his movement would shoot down one Israeli soldier for every member of his formation killed by Israel, making it clear that he had not yet avenged the victim of the July 20 raid.

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20 Minutes with AFP