Airstrikes conducted in eastern Syria on Iranian-backed groups

By Esref Musa

DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (AA) - Airstrikes were carried out on Iranian-backed groups within the ranks of the Syrian army by unidentified aerial vehicles late Friday in the district of Mayadin in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, according to local sources.

The strikes targeted positions of Iranian-backed groups at the Mezar Ali base near Meyadin, as well as in the villages of Haydariyeh and Ein Shib, said the sources.

It was reported there were fatalities and injuries in the attack on the base.

Since the Israeli army launched intensified attacks on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, US military bases in Syria and Iraq have been targeted, particularly Al-Tanf, as well as bases in the Malikiyye district near the Iraqi border, the Shaddadi district in Hasakah province and the Deir ez-Zor province, with drones and rockets.

Territories in Deir ez-Zor, east of the Euphrates River, are under the occupation of the PKK/YPG terror group, while the provincial center and other rural areas are under the control of the Bashar al-Assad regime and Iranian-backed groups.

Iran has repeatedly called for the cessation of Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Iranian-backed groups occasionally launch rocket and drone attacks on US bases along the Euphrates' eastern bank.

On Oct. 19, Iranian state television ran a report that said if Israel's attacks on Gaza continue, Tehran's regional allies, referred to as "resistance forces," could launch simultaneous attacks using missiles and drones from Hezbollah in the north, militias in Iraq and Syria from the east, and the Houthis in Yemen from the south.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Oct. 17 that if Israel's attacks continue, "resistance forces" would take action.

Iran refers to the Lebanese Hezbollah, the militias it supports in Syria and Iraq, and the Houthis in Yemen as “resistance forces.”

*Writing by Esra Tekin in Istanbul