Media outlets aligned with rebel fighters in Syria have reported an aerial attack was carried out on Shiite militia bases near the Syrian-Iraqi border on Wednesday night.
According to the reports, six missiles were fired from unidentified aircraft toward targets adjacent to the city of Al Bukamal in eastern Syria, where members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards are busy building a military base that is set to hold thousands of militia fighters and a large number of weapons storage facilities.
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According to an unusual report in the British newspaper, The Independent, the attack was carried out by Saudi planes, and was in response to an Iranian rocket barrage on its territory on Sunday that knocked out over half of the kingdom's oil production.
According to Arab media outlets, this was the second round of strikes on Shiite militia targets in the region in recent days.
On Monday night, "unidentified warplanes" were reported to have carried out airstrikes on the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units. One Iraqi news channel claimed Israel was behind the attack.
The strike is evidence of the Iranians' inability to defend the vicinity, despite eyewitness reports that the Revolutionary Guards sent three vehicles carrying anti-aircraft systems to the site after it was the target of an attack last week. The vehicles were accompanied by a convoy of Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force jeeps, as well as a number of heavy machine guns to defend the convoy.
Satellite images reveal extent of damage in previous attack
Satellite images revealed in a comprehensive report from ImageSat International exposed the extent of the damage to the pro-Iranian militia base, which was the target of airstrikes earlier this month.
According to the intelligence firm's assessment, the attack was carried out against the background of Iran's attempt to build a land bridge connecting Iran, Iraq, and Syria, with the goal of supplying weapons and manpower to militias loyal to Iran in Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least 18 Iranians and militia fighters were killed in the attack near Al Bukamal and that the number of dead was expected to rise as several of the wounded were in critical condition.
According to the group, the attack was carried out in several waves and targeted the Imam Ali Center, industrial and agricultural areas, the town of Al-Abbas, weapons storage facilities and other sites in the Deir ez-Zor region, among other sites.
The area has been demarcated as of late as a logistical base on the terrestrial axis between Iran and Syria and from there to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani and his right-hand man, Popular Mobilization Forces deputy chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, were wont to visit the base from time to time.
Iran has recently been suspected of trying to use the crossing to smuggle unmanned aerial vehicles.
