BICOM

Two military bases in central Syria were attacked with missiles last night.

The Syrian news agency SANA quoted a military source saying bases in the provinces of Hama and Aleppo had been “subjected to a new aggression with hostile missiles”.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack targeted a Syrian army base near the city of Salhab, home to the 47th Brigade, which is widely known as a recruitment centre for Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias who fight alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

According to Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, the strike included bunker buster missiles to target several weapons storage facilities at the military bases that housed Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Media outlets affiliated with the Syrian opposition said 38 government soldiers were killed in the strike in Hama, with an additional 57 wounded whilst Sky News Arabia reported that at least 40 were killed and 60 wounded. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights has reported that 26 pro-regime fighters, mostly Iranians, were killed in the strike.

Iran’s ISNA news agency confirmed 18 of its personnel were killed in the strike.

Although some reports on social media accused Israel of carrying out the attack, Syrian state-owned news site Tishreen said the US and UK launched nine ballistic missiles from military bases in northern Jordan.

On 14 April, the US, UK and France bombed three Syrian bases connected to the Assad regime’s chemical weapons programme. On 9 April, Syria Iran and Russia accused Israel of bombing air force bases in central Syria that are under exclusive Iranian control.

Speaking at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference on Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel will prevent Iran from using Syrian territory as a base to attack Israel. When asked about about Russia equipping Syria with advanced anti-aircraft systems, Lieberman said: “We will maintain freedom of operation in all of Syria.”