Syria missile strikes (January 2021)
Syria missile strikes (January 2021) | |
---|---|
Part of Iran–Israel proxy conflict | |
Location | |
Planned by | ![]() |
Target | File:Fatemiyoun Seal.svg Liwa Fatemiyoun |
Date | 13 January 2021 |
Executed by | ![]() |
Casualties | 57[1] |
The Syria missile strikes of January 2021 were a wave of airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force on multiple Iranian linked targets within the Deir ez-Zor Governorate on 13 January 2021.[2]
Airstrikes
According to the Syrian state news agency SANA Israeli aircraft carried out aerial assault at 1:10am on Deir ez-Zor city and the Al Bukamal region. The strikes were aimed at arms depots and military positions belonging to the Fatimid Brigade.[3] The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that over 18 strikes had struck the area.[4] The first reports mentioned a death toll of 23 killed and around 30 people injured.[5][6] Later that day the death toll was adjusted to 57, including 14 Syrian regime forces, 16 Iraqi militias and 11 Iran-backed fighters. The Israeli strikes in both Deir ez-Zor city and Mayadin destroyed weapons warehouses and headquarters. While in Al Bukamal military positions and ammunition depots were targeted.[7]
With the risen death toll, these were the deadliest airstrikes conducted by the Israeli Air Force on eastern Syria since the start of the conflict. Observers have warned that Israel and the United States will increase attacks against Iran in the final days of the Trump administration, which gave unprecedented support to the government of the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.[8] US officials confirmed that the strikes were carried out with intelligence provided by the United States. According to one official, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed the airstrikes two days earlier with Yossi Cohen, chief of Israel's Mossad spy agency, in Washington, D.C..[9]
Aftermath
The SOHR reported on 15 January that the Iranian-backed factions started to redeploy in the cities of al-Mayadin and Abu Kamal, as well as along the Syria-Iraq border. According to observers in the region, the militias changed their positions and started to redeploy vehicles in different neighborhoods of Mayadin.[10]
Reactions
Iran - A deputy commander of the Quds Force of (IRGC), Ahmad Karimkhani, rejected some reports and denied the killing of any IRGC and Fatimid members during the raids calling it "fake propaganda". He added that Israeli attacks on IRGC forces positions on Syria will face a harsh reaction.[11][12]
Israel - Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz generally stated that Israel will "remain vigilant on all our frontiers". He further reiterated that Israel will take action against anyone who tries to challenge them, whether they are close by or far away. "We’re not sitting and waiting.”, he added.[13] The Minister of Settlement Affairs, Tzachi Hanegbi, commented that "Israel is determined to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria".[14]
- File:Fatemiyoun Seal.svg Liwa Fatemiyoun - The commander of the Fatimid Brigade denied that any of their fighteres were killed in the strikes, pointing out that only Syrian Army positions were hit. Therefore, he called the claims published by western media false.[15][16]
See also
- Syria missile strikes (September 2018)
- Syria missile strikes (August 2019)
- Syria missile strikes (November 2019)
References
- ^ "Intense Israeli airstrikes kill 57 in eastern Syria". 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Suspected Israeli strikes on Iran-linked targets 'kill dozens'". www.bbc.com. 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Dozens killed in Israeli air raids in Syria: War monitor". www.aljazeera.com. 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Israeli attacks | Intensive airstrikes target military positions of regime forces and Iranian militias in Deir Ezzor • The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Second attack in 2021 | Israeli intensive strikes on Deir Ezzor kill and injure more than 50• The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-13.
- ^ "Israeli strikes on Syria kill 23: monitor". 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Exclusive | SOHR discloses further details of human and material damage after Israel's most intensive attacks on Deir Ezzor• The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Deadliest Israeli airstrikes on Syria in years kill 57, say observers". www.theguardian.com. 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "US official: Israel carried out Syria strikes using American intelligence". 2021-01-13.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Ongoing redeployment | Iranian-backed militias change positions throughout Deir Ezzor province for fear of future attacks• The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights". The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights. 2021-01-15.
- ^ "Iran's Quds Force denies deaths in Israeli airstrikes in Syria". Al-Monitor. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "IRGC Qods Force Denies Casualties in Israeli Attacks on Syria". FarsNews. 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Deadliest Israeli raids on Syria in years kill 57". 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Israel Strikes Iran-Linked Targets in Syria• The Wall Street Journal". The Wall Street Journal. 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ "Commander Dismisses Reports of Israeli Strike on Fatemiyoun Base in Syria". Tasnim News Agency. 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
- ^ "Iranian-backed Fatemiyoun Brigade denies Israeli strikes targeted them in Syria". Al-Masdar News. 2021-01-14.
- 2021 airstrikes
- 2021 in Israel
- 2021 in Syria
- Airstrikes conducted by Israel
- Airstrikes during the Syrian civil war
- Attacks on buildings and structures in Syria
- Deir ez-Zor Governorate in the Syrian civil war
- Iran–Israel conflict during the Syrian civil war
- Israeli involvement in the Syrian civil war
- Military operations of the Syrian civil war in 2021