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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran | ||
| Unconfirmed reports of airstrikes targeting Iranian forces in eastern Syria | ||
| 2019-09-09 | ||
| [ALMASDARNEWS] Shortly after 12:30 A.M. (local time), unconfirmed reports surfaced of unidentified warplanes targeting the Iranian forces in the eastern Syria city of Albukamal. According to reports, a number of explosions were heard inside Albukamal city in the Deir Ezzor Governorate after these unidentified warplanes targeted the Iranian military’s positions. Opposition activists in the area allege that the warplanes were targeting the Iranian forces; however, no government sources have confirmed these reports as of yet.
The blasts targeted a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Force, said the Saudi al-Arabiya network, citing sources in the area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights blamed the attack on “unidentified warplanes.” Al Arabiay said the base, in the al-Boukamal area also housed forces from the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group. The report said several people were killed in the attack, but gave no further details. “Warplanes whose identity is not known so far, targeted vehicles and positions of the Iranian forces and militias loyal to them,” the Observatory,a Britain-based group, said, adding it had no immediate details on casualties or the extent of the damage Since mid-July, five arms depots and training camps belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces have been targeted in apparent attacks. The PMF has blamed both Israel and the US for the recent string of blasts and drone sightings at its bases.There was no immediate comment from Israel. These blasts occurred on the Syrian side of the border in the same regions where Fox News reported Iran is construction a new military facility that can house thousands of soldiers and storage facilities for advanced weapons. It was not immediately clear if this was the same base. Quoting Western intelligence sources, the US cable network said the base is located near the Syria-Iraq border, and its construction is being overseen by the Quds Force, the overseas branch of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Satellite photos of the base, known as the Imam Ali compound, showed what appeared to be five recently constructed buildings that can store precision-guided missiles, according to ImageSat International. ImageSat, an Israeli satellite imagery analysis firm, said the photos also show other structures at the facility that could be used for storing missiles.
ISI analysts told Fox that the base would be completed and operational in the next few months. Defense officials said the Imam Ali compound marked the first time Tehran was constructing a military base in Syria, and noted that it was less than 200 miles away from a US military installation in neighboring Iraq. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat, and has acknowledged carrying out scores of airstrikes in Syria in recent years aimed primarily at preventing the transfers of sophisticated weapons, including guided missiles, to the Iran-backed Hezbollah. This quiet war has reportedly expanded to Iraq in recent weeks, with US officials saying the Israel Defense Forces was behind at least some strikes on Iran-linked sites outside of Baghdad. The Pentagon, which is mindful of not alienating Iraq’s leadership and jeopardizing its military presence in the country, has pointedly distanced itself from the mysterious explosions. The PMF was established in 2014 from mostly Shiite paramilitary groups and volunteers to fight the Islamic State jihadist organization and is now formally part of Iraq’s armed forces. But the US and Israel fear some units are an extension of Iran and have been equipped with precision-guided missiles that could reach Israel. Last week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran and Hezbollah of racing to build a missile-production program in Lebanon, vowing to destroy the ambitious project and issuing a stern warning to his enemies to “be careful.” “We are determined to eliminate this dangerous project,” he said. “The aim of the publication today is to convey a message that we will not sit by and allow our enemies to arm themselves with deadly weapons directed at us.” Last month, an Israeli airstrike thwarted what Israel said was a plot by Iran to launch a series of explosives-laden attack drones meant to crash into targets in the country. Iran denied the claims. Hours later, Israel allegedly struck Iran-linked targets as far away as Iraq and crash-landed two drones in Hezbollah-dominated southern Beirut. | ||
| Posted by:Fred |
| #8 Is this why the embassies were shutdown, to reduce sympathetic leaks? |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2019-09-09 16:15 |
| #7 :) |
| Posted by: The peanut gallery 2019-09-09 15:54 |
| #6 No PG, Russian radars and missiles work - but Jews cheat. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-09 14:56 |
| #5 Syria's Russian radars and missiles are like the proverbial googles: they do nothing! |
| Posted by: The peanut gallery 2019-09-09 14:47 |
| #4 Those gold plated warplanes were a wise decision after all.☺ |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2019-09-09 13:02 |
| #3 The important thing, of course, is material damage - their lives mean nothing to their bosses. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-09 12:58 |
| #2 From g(r)omgoru’s link, the death toll is now 21, and: According to the report, the secret project, called the Imam Ali compound, was approved by top leadership in Tehran and is being completed by IRGC’s Quds Forces. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2019-09-09 12:24 |
| #1 At least 18 dead, after attacks on Iranian-backed militias in Syria - report |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2019-09-09 03:03 |