Arab media outlets on Saturday evening reported a series of airstrikes in northeastern Syria, near the town of Al Bukamal on the Iraqi border, on multiple facilities belonging to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its Shiite militias.
According to Hezbollah-affiliated Al Mayadeen TV, based in Beirut, several bases were hit in the attack, which was carried out by unidentified warplanes. Other outlets reported that several Iranian nationals were wounded in airstrikes on the Imam Ali base, Iran's flagship project in Syria.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
The Imam Ali base, and the designated border crossing adjacent to it, facilitates the transfer of weapons on land from Tehran through Iraq and Syria to Beirut, relieving Iran of the need for airbases that could be neutralized in a broad Israeli airstrike. The base is slated to house a large and well-armed military force, perhaps even armed with long-range missiles.
On Sunday, a website affiliated with Syrian rebel groups called "Deir el-Zour 24," reported that a large contingent of the Pakistani Zainabiyoun Brigade arrived in the area on Saturday to bolster the other Iran-backed Shiite militias there.
Satellite photos published on Dec. 10 showed that the construction of an underground storage tunnel for missiles was underway at the Imam Ali base. The images proved that the base is designed to accommodate advanced weapon systems that the Iranians could use in a future conflict with Israel.
