Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah in Syria have been put on high alert across their controlled regions, from the western countryside of Damascus, south Damascus, Daraa, Quneitra, to Deir ez-Zor and its eastern countryside, reaching Al-Bukamal at the Syrian-Iraqi border. This comes after they received very strict orders for the first time since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza to prepare for a harsh response to Israel following the assassination of “Axis of Resistance” leaders, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group.
Additionally, regime forces in Daraa, Quneitra, and the western countryside of Damascus are also on alert, having received orders to refrain from targeting the occupied Syrian Golan from their positions or its vicinity.
This heightened state of alertness coincides with the reinforcement of Russian observation points, totaling 12 near the occupied Syrian Golan, and intensified patrols to prevent clashes at the border with the occupied Syrian Golan.
The Syrian Observatory noted that groups affiliated with Hezbollah targeted, with 12 rockets after midnight on Wednesday to Thursday, positions in the occupied Syrian Golan. Israel responded by bombing the areas from which the rockets were launched.
The Israeli raids on a building attached to the Iranian embassy on the Mezzeh highway in Damascus resulted in 16 deaths, including 14 military personnel, among them 7 commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s “Axis of Resistance” operations room, in addition to a woman and her child.
Notable among the military casualties were Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, his deputy, his office manager, two Iranian advisors, and Brigadier General Hossein Amirullah, chief of staff of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine.
Since the start of this year, Israel has targeted Syrian territories 32 times, 22 of which were aerial and 10 ground attacks, hitting approximately 64 targets including weapons and ammunition warehouses, headquarters, centers, and vehicles, as tallied by the Syrian Observatory.
The Observatory also reported that Iranian-aligned militias in their controlled areas in northern and eastern Syria received new orders from their military leadership to continue refraining from targeting American military bases in Syria, a practice that has been halted since February 25, except for an attempted drone strike on the Al-Tanf base, which was intercepted by International Coalition forces 4 kilometers away from Al-Tanf base. This occurred after the targeting of a building attached to the Iranian embassy in Damascus.
Since October 19, American bases inside Syrian territory have been attacked 122 times by Iran-backed militias.
