At least 15 pro-Iran militants were killed and dozens injured in a series of unidentified airstrikes in Syria’s eastern Deir ez-Zor province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a Britain-based war monitor.

The strikes, which targeted Iranian militia sites including weapons depots and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) compounds, took place in the city of Deir ez-Zor and near the town of al-Bukamal along the Syrian-Iraqi border. Among those killed was a militia leader, and at least 20 others were reported injured, some critically, SOHR said.

The attacks come at a time of heightened regional tensions, following the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and just two days after an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has historically conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria during its over a decade-long civil war, often targeting Iranian-backed militias like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which supports the Syrian government.

Although Israel rarely claims responsibility for such operations, it has consistently stated that it will not allow Iran, its arch-rival, to establish a significant military presence in Syria. Strikes have intensified since October 7, when Hamas militants launched a major assault on Israel, prompting Israeli retaliation across multiple fronts.

Israel also frequently targets Hezbollah supply routes between Syria and Lebanon, a crucial lifeline for the group’s operations in the region.