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Moon in the sky of Aleppo

Photo: Rami Al Sayed / AFP

In Syria, at least 42 people were killed in heavy air strikes in Aleppo province, according to activists.

In addition to Syrian army members, at least six members of the Lebanese Hezbollah were among those killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Observatory, based in London, obtains its information from a network of various sources in Syria. The information is often difficult to verify independently.

Accordingly, the suspected Israeli attacks targeted a rocket depot of the Shiite Hezbollah militia.

When asked, the Israeli army said it did not want to comment on the report. Hezbollah in the Lebanese capital Beirut also did not initially comment.

Israel's air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Israeli attacks have increased since the Gaza war began in early October. However, such high numbers of victims are rare.

The attacks occurred at dawn in an area near Aleppo international airport, according to the Observatory. Some factories were also hit.

Already the second serious attack this week

It is the second serious attack on Syrian territory that has been attributed to Israel. For example, there were heavy air strikes in the eastern Syrian province of Deir al-Zor at the beginning of the week. According to human rights activists, at least 15 people were killed and dozens more injured; 14 of the dead are said to have been members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, several explosions rocked the region on Tuesday night. The target of the attacks was, among other things, a villa that is said to have been used as a headquarters by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and militias associated with them.

According to reports, the attacks occurred shortly after an Iranian plane landed at the military airport in Deir al-Zor. This is said to have had members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and equipment on board. The Revolutionary Guard is Iran's elite unit and is considered far more powerful than the country's regular troops.

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