Syrian air defenses responded to an attack near Hama in western-central Syria on Tuesday night, just hours after alleged Israeli airstrikes targeted sites in southern and eastern Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.The airstrikes targeted a factory near the city of Salamiyah where Iranian militias are stationed, according to a reporter for Al Jazeera. A military source told SANA that Israeli airstrikes targeted several locations in Saburah and Salamiyah near Hama, adding that Syrian air defenses had succeeded in dropping most of the incoming missiles and that only limited material damage was caused. Video reportedly from the scene showed large fires and an extended series of large explosions in Salamiyah.
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Seven Syrian soldiers and Iranian militants were killed, and a number of others were wounded, in alleged Israeli airstrikes in southern and eastern Syria on Tuesday night. While Syrian state media did not blame Israel for the airstrikes, opposition and foreign reports claimed Israel carried out the strikes. Five Iranian militants were killed and a number of others were injured in an airstrike on a site belonging to an Iranian militia in the Deir Ezzor region, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). At least two Syrian air force soldiers were killed and a number of others were wounded in a strike on a communications center and radar in Tel el-Sahn near As-Suwayda. Extensive damage was caused to the site and a fire broke out in the area, according to SOHR. A military source told Syria’s state news agency SANA that hostile aircraft came from east and northeast of Palmyra and fired several missiles towards Syrian military positions in Kobajjep in the Deir Ezzor region of eastern Syria and near As-Suwayda in southern Syria. In the strike on As-Suwayda, two soldiers were killed and another four were injured, according to the military source.
Palmyra is located in the Homs Governorate of central Syria.
The incident is irregular because it’s not clear what sensitive sites are in Suwayda area, where there have been recent protests, or at Kobajjep on the road between Deir Ezzor and Palmyra.
An Iranian arms shipment arrived in the As-Suwayda area on Tuesday morning, according to Al-Arabiya.
Targets belonging to Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias are often struck by airstrikes by unidentified aircraft in the Deir Ezzor area.
The last airstrike attributed to Israel in Syria was in early June, when at least nine people were killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes targeting Syrian defense factories near the city of Masyaf in northwest Syria, according to Syrian reports.
Syrian air defenses had claimed they were trying to interdict drones on the night of June 22 so it is clear that Syria is on high alert and has been following tensions in the region. Damascus is suffering dearly from new US sanctions and there have been protests and many issues around the divided country. For instance a Turkish drone strike was reported near Kobane on June 23 as well. There are also tensions in Idlib and with the US which has a base in Tanf near the Jordanian border. The area where the air defenses said there was activity is known as Tel al-Sahn, sometimes known as “radar dish hill” and it has been struck by airstrikes on May 10, 2018.
The area of Suwayda is populated by Druze but the area of Tel al-Sahn is in the countryside and faces a desert area where there are sometimes rumors of ISIS activity. Beyond that is the exclusion zone around Tanf and also the Syrian refugee camp near the border. This is a sensitive area and the Syrian regime opposes the US presence at Tanf. Tanf is a lonely desert outpost base. Recently US soldiers trained their to shoot down small drones. They also train Syrian rebel forces there.
The road from Deir Ezzor to Palmyra is strategic and leads to the T-4 base which has often been hit by airstrikes. Iran has sent Shia militias to this sensitive area around Deir Ezzor. There have been several incidents in this area and allegations that Afghan and Pakistan Shi’ite volunteers for the IRGC are residing in villages here. They have threatened Israel and they are part of Iran’s “axis of resistance.” The US-led Coalition is across the river from Deir Ezzor. In February 2018 pro-regime contractors attacks US-backed SDF forces across the Euphrates river.
Jason Brodsky, Policy Director at United Against a Nuclear Iran noted on social media that the air defense activation near Deir Ezzor comes days “after drone strikes killed 12 Iran-backed Afghan and Iraqi fighters in Deir Ezzor.”
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