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Destroyed building next to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus
Photo: Firas Makdesi / REUTERS
Mohammad Reza Sahedi died in an explosion in the Syrian capital Damascus, Iran's state broadcaster reports. He was a prominent brigadier general in the Quds Force, which specialized in foreign missions, and is said to have been responsible for its operations in Syria and Lebanon.
This Monday, according to consistent media reports, he was in the consular section of the Iranian embassy in Damascus. Iran blames Israel for deadly attack; In addition to Sahedi, there are said to be other dead and injured.
The Quds Forces specialize in asymmetric combat abroad. The elite unit has several thousand men under arms who are active on the ground, in the air and at sea. Organizationally, they belong to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which are at least as powerful as the country's official army. The Shiite shadow fighters are seen as the shield and sword of the regime in Tehran. The Quds Force commander receives his orders directly from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Revolutionary Leader.
The Quds Brigades are intended to actively spread the goals of the 1979 Islamic Revolution throughout the Muslim world. They therefore support and coordinate, among other things, Shiite forces in the Arab world in order to torpedo the hegemony of the Sunni hegemonic power Saudi Arabia and to fight against Israel.
“Quds,” the name of the myth-shrouded force, means: Jerusalem. The conquest of the city, which is equally important for Jews, Christians and Muslims - and thus the destruction of Israel - is another long-term goal of the Quds Brigade.
According to the Syrian state news agency Sana, the Syrian air defense responded to the attack and fired some missiles. According to the information, the entire building was destroyed. According to Iran's state television, the ground floor was the residence of the ambassador, Hussein Akbari. He and his family should be unharmed.
Israel's air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as the Lebanese Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Attacks have increased since the Gaza war began almost six months ago. Targets near Damascus were already bombed on Sunday.
On Friday, more than 50 people were killed in heavy air strikes in northwest Syria's Aleppo province, apparently including Syrian officers and members of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia. However, such high numbers of victims as a result of suspected Israeli air strikes are rare.
dop/dpa