Two Hezbollah Members Killed In Israeli Strike On Syria

Photo: AFP

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israel targeted a civilian truck with a missile near the Syrian-Lebanese border. This strike resulted in the death of at least two Hezbollah members, according to the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources in Syria.

Hezbollah later confirmed the deaths in separate statements, referring to the two fighters as "martyred on the road to Jerusalem." A source close to Hezbollah also confirmed that both individuals were killed in Syria on that morning.

Syrian state media did not report on the strike. Since the onset of Syria's civil war in 2011, Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria, primarily targeting pro-Iran forces, including Hezbollah and the Syrian army. The frequency of these strikes has increased amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

Notably, an Israeli strike on a Damascus residential neighborhood earlier in the week resulted in the death of three Iran-backed fighters, including one Syrian and two foreigners, as reported by the Observatory. On February 10, the Observatory documented another Israeli strike west of Damascus, which claimed the lives of three individuals affiliated with pro-Iran militias.

In recent months, Hezbollah has reported the deaths of 16 of its members due to Israeli strikes in Syria, particularly during the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The Israeli military announced on February 3 that it had targeted over 50 Hezbollah-related sites throughout Syria. Israel consistently emphasizes its opposition to allowing Iran to expand its presence in Syria, although it rarely comments on individual strikes.