Israeli airstrikes on Syrian city of Palmyra kill 36, wound 50
Smoke rises after an Israeli airstrike in Syria. (AFP Photo)
Israeli airstrikes on the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra killed 36 people and injured more than 50 on Wednesday, according to Syria’s Defense Ministry, which accused Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure.
“The Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of the Al-Tanf area, targeting several buildings,” the ministry said, adding that the strikes caused “significant material damage.”
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a higher toll, claiming 41 fatalities. Among the dead were seven Syrian fighters and 22 non-Syrians, mostly Iraqi members of the Iran-backed Al-Nujaba Brigades.
Syrian state news agency SANA said the attacks struck residential areas and industrial zones, further aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn nation.
Israel has conducted frequent airstrikes in Syria since the civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting pro-Iran groups and Syrian military sites.
The raids have intensified amid heightened conflict with Hezbollah, which escalated into full-scale war last September. Israel, which rarely comments on specific strikes, maintains its stance against Iran’s military presence in Syria.
