Senior officials were among the members of Iranian militias killed in possible Israeli and American air strikes on Syria last week, revealed field sources to Asharq Al-Awsat.
The raids on Friday and Saturday struck Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) bases, headquarters and warehouses, as well as allied groups, across Syria, including near Damascus International Airport.
Preliminary reports said 12 militants, including senior members, were killed in the attacks.
Hezbollah media in Lebanon said four of its top members were killed in strikes on the al-Boukamal region near the border with Iraq.
IRGC media, meanwhile, denied that any of its members were killed in the strikes near Damascus airport.
Informed field sources, however, confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that at least two IRGC field commanders were killed.
The IRGC was holding a meeting in southern Damascus near the airport.
Local IRGC officials said a group of foreign militia leaders active in the eastern Deir Ezzor region were meeting in Damascus to discuss “some developments and plans,” sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. Some were killed and others wounded in the raid.
Five of the killed have been identified as “Al-Hajj Mahmoud”, Lebanese, who was the leader of one of Hezbollah’s most important units in Deir Ezzor; “Al-Hajj Raad”, Iraqi, who was the top Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces official in the province; “Al-Hajj Ali”, Iranian, who was the IRGC’s intelligence official in the eastern region; “Al-Hajj Nevzat”, Afghani, who was responsible for all Afghan groups in Syria; and “Al-Hajj Ali”, Iranian, who was active in Deir Ezzor.
Syrian political analyst Mohammed Hassan ruled out the possibility that the raid was a response to attacks by the so-called “Islamic Resistance” in Iraq against an American base in northeastern Syria.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the strikes, which he described as “sophisticated”, took place three days after senior IRGC official Reza Mousavi was killed near Damascus.
He revealed that over the past week, over a thousand fighters had poured into regions held by pro-Iran militias in Deir Ezzor.
Hassan, who hails from the province and is an expert in monitoring extremist groups and Iranian militias, said the raids against the militias last week were most likely American.
The US was probably responding to the massive reinforcements in Deir Ezzor. The attacks near Damascus airport were probably carried out by Israel, he added.
