Damascus: The death toll from the overnight Israeli strikes in Syria has increased to 14, with over 40 people injured, according to Syrian state media on Monday morning.
Late Sunday, Israeli strikes targeted multiple locations in central Syria, causing damage to a highway in Hama province and igniting fires, reported the Syrian state news agency SANA. Initially, the Masyaf National Hospital in western Hama province reported four fatalities.
SANA, quoting hospital director Faysal Haydar, reported that the casualties had risen to 14 dead and 43 injured. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, based in the U.K., noted that at least four of the deceased were civilians.
The strikes hit a scientific research centre in Masyaf, among other locations where “Iranian militias and experts are stationed to develop weapons in Syria,” according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Strikes in the vicinity of the coastal city of Tartous were also reported by local media.
The Israeli military has not made any immediate comments. Israel has conducted numerous strikes on targets within the government-controlled areas of Syria over the years but seldom confirms or discusses these operations. These strikes typically target Syrian forces or Iranian-supported groups.
Israel has declared its intention to prevent Iranian military presence in Syria, which is strategically important as a transit route for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
For the past 11 months, Hezbollah has been engaged in conflicts with Israeli forces amidst Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, a Hezbollah ally, in Gaza.