A war monitor said 16 members of pro-Iran groups were killed in an Israeli strike near northern Syria’s Aleppo early Monday, with state media also reporting a deadly Israeli attack.
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“The death toll of the Israeli strike on a factory in Hayyan in western Aleppo province has risen to 16 pro-Iran group members, including Syrian and foreigner fighters,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, had initially reported 12 dead.

It said pro-Iranian groups composed of local and foreign fighters have considerable influence in government-controlled Hayyan.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on its northern neighbour since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, mainly targeting army positions and Iran-backed fighters, including from Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
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The strikes increased after Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack against Israel.

But the Observatory said they slowed after a deadly April 1 strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, blamed on Israel, that sent regional tensions skyrocketing and triggered Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel.

The Syrian defence ministry said in a statement that “after midnight… the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the southeast of Aleppo, targeting some positions” near the city, reporting “martyrs” and “some material damage”.
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While Israel rarely comments on individual strikes in Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence there.

According to the Observatory, Israeli strikes on Wednesday in western and central Syria killed a girl and six fighters working with Hezbollah, including three Syrians.

Hezbollah, a Hamas ally, has long fought in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country’s civil war.

In March, the Observatory said Israeli air strikes near Aleppo airport killed 52 people — 38 government soldiers, seven Hezbollah members and seven Syrian pro-Iran fighters.

Syria’s conflict has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions more since it erupted in 2011 after Damascus cracked down on anti-government protests.
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