Israel Targets Syria for the Third Time... Second Iranian Advisor Killed

The Syrian Ministry of Defense announced early Sunday morning that Israel targeted sites in the Homs province. Western intelligence sources stated that the strikes targeted a group of airbases in the central area of the country where Iranian troops are stationed. In a statement reported by official media, it was mentioned, "Five Syrian soldiers were injured in a strike that originated from northeast Beirut," according to the official news agency (SANA). The semi-official Iranian news agency Mehr reported that a military advisor from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was killed, and Mikdad Maqdani was wounded during the Israeli attack. The Israeli military declined to comment on the news of the latest strike in Syria, which is the third since Thursday, coming just one day after another attack on Friday that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stated resulted in the death of one of its officers. Reports indicated an Israeli airstrike on Iranian targets at the Shayrat Air Base near Homs, Syria, where Israeli aircraft launched missiles from Lebanese airspace. Multiple secondary explosions confirmed the strike hit a missile storage site. Sources from Western intelligence, who requested anonymity, revealed that the missile strikes targeted the "T-4" airbase located west of the ancient city of Palmyra and the nearby Dabaa Airport close to the city of Qusayr near the Lebanese border, an area where members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah are present. The sources noted that Iranian soldiers along with fighters from Lebanese Hezbollah are stationed at both airbases, and there is a strong presence of Iran-aligned militias in that area of Homs province. Reuters was unable to independently verify these claims.