In a rare public acknowledgment, Israel’s military has confirmed an airstrike on the intelligence headquarters of Hezbollah’s Syrian branch in Damascus on Monday. The strike, which took place in the Sayyeda Zeinab area south of the Syrian capital, reportedly killed two Hezbollah members, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Britain-based war monitor.
The Israeli military, in a statement, described the operation as a targeted aerial strike aimed at degrading Hezbollah’s intelligence capabilities. The military explained that the targeted facility housed Hezbollah’s intelligence operations, which included gathering, coordinating, and assessing sensitive data. This operation is part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group with close ties to Iran, which has intensified in recent weeks.
The targeted area is a known Shiite stronghold, home to the Sayyeda Zeinab shrine, a religious site guarded by pro-Iran militias, including Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The airstrike reportedly hit a house being used by Hezbollah members and Iranian forces at a nearby farm.
Syrian state media reported that the attack occurred at around 5:18 pm local time and was launched from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights. Witnesses from the region described hearing three successive explosions, one of which was notably strong. “I saw a large black cloud of smoke rising,” said Mehdi Mahfouz, a local resident. Ambulances were seen heading towards the area following the blasts.
The Syrian government condemned the Israeli strike, calling it an attack on civilian areas. However, the Syrian foreign ministry did not provide specific details on the casualties, referring only to significant material damage caused by the explosion. Israel’s rare public acknowledgment of its involvement in the attack reflects the escalating tensions in the region, particularly as Israel has continued its strikes against Hezbollah and Iran-backed forces in Syria since launching its war against Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon over a month ago.
Since the onset of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes across Syria, primarily targeting Iranian military assets, Hezbollah positions, and other pro-Iran groups. The ongoing conflict continues to draw in multiple regional and international actors, further complicating an already volatile situation in the Middle East.
Sources By Agencies
