Israeli strike kills 36 Syrian soldiers near Aleppo
(FILES) Rusian soldiers gather as Algerian rescue teams (red helmets) take part in the search and rescue operations in Syria's northern city of Aleppo on 8 February 2023, two days after a deadly earthquake struck Syria and Turkey. The death toll from the massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria rose above 8,300, official data showed, with rescue workers still searching for trapped survivors.
AFP PHOTO
An Israeli air strike on Syria's Aleppo province killed at least 36 Syrian soldiers on Friday, according to a war monitor, which added that Hezbollah weapons depots were located in the area.
The Israeli attack targeted an area "near rockets depots belonging to Lebanese group Hezbollah", said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has an extensive network of sources in Syria.
"At least 36 soldiers were killed and dozens wounded," it said.
Syrian state news agency SANA said the pre-dawn strike killed and wounded civilians as well as military personnel.
A Syrian military source told SANA that "at approximately 1:45 am, the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo", adding that "civilians and military personnel" had been killed and wounded in the strike.
Contacted by AFP from Jerusalem, the Israeli military said it would "not comment on reports in the foreign media".
Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on targets in Syria since civil war broke out in 2011, mainly targeting Iran-backed forces including militants from Lebanon's Hezbollah movement as well as Syrian army positions.
The strikes have increased since Israel's war with Palestinian militant group Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, began on 7 October.