At least three Iran-backed militants were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday targeting Syria’s central Homs and Hama provinces, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The UK-based war monitor reported that the attacks left ten others injured.

The airstrikes reportedly targeted positions held by Lebanon’s Hezbollah group, a key ally of the Damascus regime, along with air-defense systems and fuel refineries in the area. Members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were also said to be present during the strikes.

Israel, which has carried out hundreds of airstrikes on regime-controlled areas of Syria during the country’s 13-year civil war, often claims to target pro-Iran militias like Hezbollah. While Israel rarely comments on these operations, it has consistently stated that it will not allow its regional rival Iran to establish a foothold in Syria.

The frequency of these strikes has escalated since October 7, following an unprecedented attack by Palestinian Hamas militants on Israeli territory, which prompted significant retaliation. According to SOHR data, Israel has conducted 60 airstrikes on Syrian territory since the beginning of the year, resulting in 181 combatant deaths and 113 injuries.