Hezbollah and Iraqi militias flee Syria bases fearing airstrikes
The evacuation comes days after a convoy allegedly carrying Iranian weapons was targeted at the Syrian-Iraqi border.
1 min read
Several militias backed by different regional and global powers are active in the Syrian conflict [Getty/archive]
Lebanese and Iraqi Shia militias have fled some of their bases in Syria's Homs province, fearing Israeli airstrikes, according to reports.
The Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Hezbollah Battalions - not affiliated to each other, but both backed by Iran - evacuated their headquarters near the city of Al-Sukhnah, in eastern Homs province, according to information obtained by Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's sister site.
Sources indicated that more than five bases were evacuated as the militant groups hid heavy weaponry and maintained checkpoints along the M20, the road between Al-Sukhna and Palmyra.
The recent measures come after a number of people, reportedly including a commander, were killed after airstrikes destroyed a convoy of trucks that crossed into eastern Syria from Iraq over the weekend.
The strikes destroyed a convoy of six refrigerated trucks allegedly transporting Iranian weapons in the Al Bukamal region of Syria near the Iraq border, according to a war monitor.
The two militant groups have a significant presence in this area.
It was not clear who was behind those strikes, however Israel has bombed Syria continuously during its nearly 12-year conflict but rarely acknowledges such attacks.
Iran has provided military support to the Syrian regime through its own forces and proxy militias during the war.
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