Two Syrian soldiers, seven fighters killed in 'rare' Israeli strike

Seven Syrian soldiers were killed and four others wounded in Israeli strikes Tuesday in the southern province of Sweida, a military source cited by state media said, reporting other raids elsewhere in the war-torn country.

"Several hostile missiles were fired at our military positions in Kababej, west of Deir Ezzor and in the Al-Sukhna region," a military source quoted by the official SANA news agency said, using Damascus' common term for Israeli attacks.

"At the same time, one of our military positions was targeted near the town of Salkhad in the southern city of Sweida, resulting in the death of two martyrs and the wounding of four other soldiers," the source added.

Seven fighters were also killed in Israeli strikes Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the strikes had targeted "Iranian militia positions in Tel al-Sahen."

"Five pro-Iranian fighters were killed in a strike on a military center belonging to pro-Tehran militias" on the Sokhna-Deir Ezzor road in eastern Syria, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahmane said.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that the military "does not comment on foreign (media) reports". 

Israel has launched hundreds of strikes in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011.

It has targeted government troops, allied Iranian forces and fighters from the Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah.

It rarely confirms details of its operations in Syria, but says Iran's presence in support of President Bashar al-Assad is a threat and that it will continue its strikes.

In early June, Israeli strikes killed at least nine fighters loyal to the Syrian regime, including four Syrians, in Hama province -- a central region controlled by the Syrian army and Iranians, according to the Observatory.



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