Local media reported today, Friday, that airstrikes targeted Iranian-controlled sites in the countryside of Al-Mayadeen in the eastern Deir ez-Zor province of Syria. The raids also affected the areas of Ain Ali and Al-Shibli in the Al-Mayadeen countryside. It was noted that "drones hit several positions of Iranian-affiliated militias." The aircraft targeted the Al-Hizam area and the industrial district in Al-Bukamal, near the Syrian-Iraqi border. While Politico cited U.S. officials denying that the strikes were American, ABC News confirmed with a U.S. official that "American strikes in Syria have begun in response to the attack on Jordan."
For his part, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdul Rahman, stated that "airstrikes that appear to be American are targeting areas between Al-Bukamal and Al-Mayadeen in eastern Syria." He added that "aircraft are bombing sites in Al-Haydaria and Al-Shibli in the Al-Mayadeen desert in Deir ez-Zor province," indicating that "the airstrikes in eastern Syria have been ongoing for the past 15 minutes." The observatory reported that at least six people (of Iranian nationality and other nationalities) were killed during the raids, and 11 military targets in eastern Syria were destroyed. Syrian media mentioned that the "Ain Ali" base, which was bombed, is the second-largest gathering of Revolutionary Guard factions in eastern Syria.
Fox News reported a defense official stating that the strikes came from multiple platforms and that the bombings are the beginning of a long campaign to target Iranian-affiliated groups in the coming days. Syrian media also reported that three members of military groups aligned with Syrian forces were killed in airstrikes in the Al-Mayadeen countryside, while Syrian Kurdish media stated that the death toll from the strikes included targeting a battalion affiliated with the Syrian army in the town of Ayyash, a fuel station east of Deir ez-Zor city, and a storage facility in the city.
The U.S. Central Command noted that 85 targets were hit using 125 precision-guided munitions in more than four rounds targeting various areas. An Iraqi security source reported that the strikes targeted locations of popular mobilization factions in the Qaim district on the Syrian border. Iranian media reported at least 10 deaths, including Iranian and Iraqi nationals, in the bombings of Al-Mayadeen and Al-Bukamal.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed significant confusion among Iranian-affiliated forces due to a lack of intelligence about expected target areas and their readiness to withstand the scale of the expected American strike in the coming hours. Measures were taken based on available resources, although there was no plan to counter a large-scale American attack. According to sources, communication among groups and leadership is being conducted via WhatsApp and Telegram groups, without relying on military communication channels due to fears of interception. The sources also indicated that Iranian-affiliated group leaders have taken measures to mitigate human losses in the event of an expected American target in Syria by sending their leadership to the provinces of Damascus and Homs. They instructed their forces in Syria (leadership and elements) to remain at home and keep in touch with group leaders, while only maintaining security personnel at the sites in anticipation of potential American strikes in the coming hours amid significant confusion within their ranks.
Moreover, a series of explosions were heard inside the U.S. military base in the "Omar" oil field in eastern Syria.
