The official Syrian News Agency (SANA), in turn, reported that a mine had exploded in the neighborhood, leaving dead and wounded.
The border area with Iraq in the southern countryside of Deir ez-Zor is considered one of the most prominent areas of influence for Iran and its loyal groups in Syria, including Iraqi factions. Over the years, trucks carrying weapons, ammunition, warehouses, and military sites belonging to these groups have been subjected to air strikes, including those announced by Washington and others attributed to Israel.
“Four people were killed and eight wounded in targeting a march near a weapons factory of the pro-Iranian factions, and near a truck loaded with weapons,” Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP on Tuesday.
The Observatory was unable to determine whether the dead were fighters, nor was information available about the party that carried out the strike.
Abdul Rahman explained that the attack affected a neighborhood that includes residences of senior Iranian leaders and senior Hezbollah officers, and an Iranian hospital for treating cholera patients.
In turn, SANA spoke of an explosion “remnants of terrorists” in Al-Hamidiyah neighborhood. The Islamic State group controlled parts of the city of Deir ez-Zor before it was expelled from it in 2017.
SANA published pictures showing great destruction in one of the buildings, and damage to nearby trucks.
The Syrian regime forces control the western bank of the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor, and thousands of fighters from pro-Iranian groups are deployed there, specifically the area between the border cities of Al-Bukamal with Iraq and Deir ez-Zor, passing through Al-Mayadeen.
This border area is an important route for the Iraqi Brigades and the Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as other pro-Iranian groups, for the transfer of weapons and fighters. It is also used to transport goods of all kinds between Iraq and Syria.
Over the years, trucks carrying weapons, ammunition, warehouses, and military sites belonging to those groups have been subjected to air strikes. Some of them have been adopted by US forces.
At the end of January, 11 pro-Iranian fighters were killed in separate airstrikes that hit trucks in less than 24 hours after they crossed into Deir Ezzor from the Iraqi side.
© 2023 AFP
