Israeli Strikes Kill Iran-Backed Fighters in Syria

Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
TT
20

Israeli Strikes Kill Iran-Backed Fighters in Syria

Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
Missile fire is seen from Damascus, Syria May 10, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes early on Thursday near Damascus, wounding eight soldiers, Syrian regime media said, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes targeted army positions as well as Iran-backed fighters, killing 12.

The Syrian defense ministry said that air defenses intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets in southern Syria including near the capital.

The attacks by Israeli jets were launched over the Golan Heights and Lebanese airspace in two waves, one near Damascus and another near the Deraa and Quneitra provinces, said a ministry statement carried by regime media.

It said Syrian air defenses downed a large number of missiles but that the attack had caused material damage and injured eight "fighters", without specifying their nationality.

Syrian regime media quoted an unnamed military official as saying that eight soldiers were wounded in the airstrikes.

According to the Observatory, the airstrikes hit Syrian army positions and those of Iranian-backed militiamen west and south of the capital, as well as the Mazzeh military air base in Damascus.

A "large number of missiles" hit multiple positions in these areas, triggering a fire at the Scientific Research Center in the Damascus suburb of Jamraya. The Observatory said the strikes killed 12 Syrians and non-Syrian Iran-backed fighters, adding that the deaths occurred in the southern village of Izraa and the southern Damascus suburb of Kisweh.

The Israeli military declined to comment.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria, saying its goal was to end Tehran’s military presence there.

Last month, the Syrian army said Israeli jets attacked the main T4 air base in Homs province. In December, it said the air defense system intercepted missiles fired from the direction of Israel aimed at targets on the outskirts Damascus.



Ukraine Can Achieve Just and Lasting Peace Under Trump, Says Foreign Minister 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Ukraine Can Achieve Just and Lasting Peace Under Trump, Says Foreign Minister 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, India, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Tuesday that Kyiv was not the obstacle for a peace deal with Russia and believes it can achieve just and lasting peace under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.

Ukraine was waiting for clarity to emerge on the peace process after the conversation between Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, expected later on Tuesday, Sybiha said during an annual geopolitical conference in New Delhi.

Trump has been trying to get Putin to agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposal that Ukraine accepted last week but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has also consistently said Ukraine's sovereignty is not negotiable and that Russia must surrender the territory it has seized.

"We are not the obstacle to achieving peace ... we really expect from Russian side unconditional yes for ceasefire," Sybiha said during a panel discussion.

Trump said he would speak to Putin on Tuesday morning about ending the Ukraine war, with territorial concessions by Kyiv and control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant likely to feature prominently in the talks.

Trump, who as the presidential candidate promised to end the war in a swift 24 hours, faces a tough negotiator in Putin, who Zelenskiy has argued does not abide by agreements.

Sybiha accused Moscow of not wanting to end the war, adding that Ukraine will never recognize any of its territories occupied by Russian forces.

"Our approach: now is a time for diplomacy, for a strong diplomacy," he said. "We also really believe that with leadership of President Trump we could achieve long-lasting, just peace."

Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been the target of large-scale attacks since Russia's invasion in 2022, resulting in blackouts and freezing conditions for millions of people.

Ukraine has retaliated by launching long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, pumping stations and ports used for oil and gas exports.