Presumed Israeli airstrikes on eastern Syria killed 16 Iran-backed fighters Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, hours after Damascus said it intercepted Israeli missiles fired at a central airbase.
Those killed were "Iraqi paramilitary fighters loyal to Iran, seven of whom were killed outside the city of Mayadeen," Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Britain-based Observatory, said.
The other nine were killed in strikes south of the city of Albu Kamal, on the Iraqi border further east.
Abdul Rahman said Israel was "likely" responsible for the attack, which if confirmed, would mark the second such strike in less than 24 hours and the third this week.
Late Wednesday, Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles fired by an Israeli warplane at the T4 air base in central Syria, regime media reported.
"Our air defenses intercepted most of them," it said, adding the attack caused only material damage.
On Monday, Israeli strikes killed one civilian, three government troops and seven allied foreign fighters, the Observatory said.
Monday's strikes hit Syrian army positions south of Damascus and facilities used by Iran-backed paramilitaries, including fighters of Lebanon's Hezbollah, in the southern province of Daraa, the Observatory said.
