Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Asharq Al-Awsat

Observatory: 19 Iranians Killed in 2 Days of Israeli Strikes on Syria

An Israeli soldier stands on top of a tank near the border with Syria in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 11, 2018. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

At least 11 Iranians were among those killed in unprecedented Israeli strikes on Syria on Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday. 

"At least 27 pro-regime fighters were killed" in Thursday's strikes, said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Observatory. 

He said "six Syrian soldiers and 21 foreign fighters, including 11 Iranians" were among the dead.

That updates the monitor's initial toll of 23, which did not specify the number of Iranians. 

"The new report is due to the death of wounded or missing persons whose deaths have been confirmed," Abdel Rahman said.

In strikes near the capital on Wednesday, the Observatory said at least 15 were killed, including eight Iranians.

That brings to 42, including 19 Iranians, the total killed during the two days of strikes.

Israel says it struck dozens of Iranian targets inside Syria early on Thursday in response to a salvo of rockets allegedly fired by Iranian forces into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. 

The Observatory also said Saturday that at least 86 pro-regime fighters were killed in Syria over the past week in battles against ISIS as regime forces push to clear militants from their last stronghold in Damascus.

The extremists have lost 57 fighters in the clashes in the Hajar al-Aswad district on the outskirts of Damascus since May 5, according to the Observatory.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.