Iran military adviser in Syria dies days after Israeli strike: media

An Iranian military official with the Revolutionary Guards in Syria succumbed Thursday to injuries sustained in an Israeli strike on Damascus earlier this week, Iranian media said.

Military "adviser" Majid Divani "was injured in an air strike by Israel in Damascus three days ago" and died on Thursday, Tasnim news agency reported.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has announced several deaths among its ranks in recent Israeli strikes on Syria as well as Lebanon, has not confirmed Divani's death.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, Israeli strikes on Tuesday targeting the Damascus area killed at least six people, including three civilians and three pro-Iran fighters.

Since the start of Syria's civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous strikes in the country, primarily targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters.

While Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, they have repeatedly vowed to stop Iran from expanding its presence in the region.

Tehran, a close ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, maintains that it does not have combat troops in Syria, only officers who provide military advice and training.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory said in April that Iran had decreased its military presence in Syria following a series of strikes attributed to Israel.

One attack that month hit the Iranian consulate in Damascus, killing seven Revolutionary Guards including two generals, and prompting Tehran to launch a barrage of missiles and drones in its first ever direct attack on Israel on April 13-14.

Iran this week launched a second attack on Israel with dozens of missiles after the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders.

Published - October 04, 2024 01:33 am IST