Report: Israeli Airstrike Kills At Least 42 In Syria

Syria’s defence ministry has said that Israeli planes targeted several sites in the Aleppo region killing 42 people.

A UK-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), said that Israeli strikes hit missile depots for Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah.

It added 36 Syrian troops and six Hezbollah fighters died in the attack, while dozens were injured.

SOHR said that the strikes hit the weapons warehouse in Jabrin area near Aleppo international airport and targetted air defence forces facilities in Al-Saferah, about 20km (12.5 miles), south-east of Aleppo city.

The Syrian government said that civilians and military personnel had been killed. The government added that the attacks were carried out “in conjunction with” with drone attacks by “terrorist organisations”.

Israeli forces have carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of Syria in recent years, which have increased since the war erupted in Gaza. It began with Hamas’ unprecedented attacks killed around 1,200 Israelis. In retaliation, Tel Aviv has killed over 32,000 Palestinians mostly children and women in the conflict, which has continued for the past six months.

Hezbollah has an armed presence in Syria after it joined the country’s conflict fighting along with government forces. Tehran, which backed President Bashar al-Assad in the war that erupted in 2011 has seen its influence grow rapidly in the region.

Iran, which enjoys a close relation with Syria and Hezbollah, in a statement on Telegram said that the strikes were a clear violation of international law and the sovereignty of Syria.

The foreign ministry condemning the raids added that such raids were a serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

According to news reports, the Israeli government has said that it would not like to “comment on reports of air strike.”

Also, over the past six months’ at least 346 people have been killed in Lebanon – including at least 68 civilians – in clashes with Israel.