Watan-In his first comment on the killing of five members of the elite force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Damascus on Saturday, Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi stated that Tehran will not leave the Israeli crime without retaliation.

Official Iranian and Syrian media reported that an Israeli missile strike on the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Saturday resulted in the death of five members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, including the head of the information unit affiliated with the elite force in Syria.

Official Syrian media reported an “aerial attack” by Israel on a building in the Mezzeh neighborhood of Damascus, stating that Syrian air defenses shot down several missiles.

Iranian President pledges to respond to the Israeli strike in Syria

Other local media in Syria reported explosions heard in various parts of the Syrian capital.

The Syrian regime’s army stated that the building in the Mezzeh neighborhood, west of Damascus, which is under tight security, was completely destroyed. It added that the Israeli Air Force launched the missiles while flying over the Golan Heights, which is occupied by Israel.

Israel has long been conducting airstrikes against Iranian-related targets in Syria. However, these attacks increased following the October 7 attack by the Hamas movement on Israel from Gaza.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced in an official statement the death of 5 Iranian soldiers in this attack, describing them as “military advisors.” Iran has consistently referred to its military forces in Syria as “advisors,” and the Israeli occupation army did not comment.

As stated in the official statement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the names of the members of the Revolutionary Guard killed in the attack are Hujjatollah Omidar, Ali Aghazadeh, Hussein Mohammadi, and Saeed Karimi.

Hours later, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced the death of another soldier who was injured in the attack. The fifth person’s name was mentioned in the public relations announcement as Mohammad Amin Samadi.

It is noteworthy that the attack occurred during the day, unlike usual Israeli attacks in Syria, which often happen at night. Security forces surrounded the destroyed four-story building immediately after the targeting.

Ambulances and firefighting vehicles were seen in the area. Search and rescue operations are underway for those trapped under the rubble. Windows in nearby buildings were also shattered.

3 leaders in the Revolutionary Guard

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed the killing of 10 Iranian militia members as a result of the Israeli targeting on Saturday morning of a building in Damascus. The casualties included 5 Iranians, including 3 leaders in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and 3 Syrians contracted with the Iranian militias, one Iraqi, and one Lebanese, with confirmed information about missing persons, including Syrians and Iranians.

The targeted building is located in a secure area in the Mezzeh Villas neighborhood in the capital Damascus. It is one of the buildings of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the area, and the neighborhood is inhabited by leaders from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the Islamic Jihad movement, and the Lebanese Hezbollah.

Iran threatens

The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, stating that in addition to political and legal pursuit of this act, Tehran reserves the right to retaliate against Israel “at the appropriate time and place.”

This new attack on members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard comes four weeks after the killing of Reza Mousavi, a high-ranking official in the Quds Force affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, in a similar attack in the Zainabiya neighborhood of Damascus.

Israel used the same method in its new targeting as when it assassinated Reza Mousavi, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard militia. The targeting of the building took place after monitoring movements and the entry of individuals into it early in the morning.