Israel

Possible Drone Strike in Eastern Syria Kills 7

Published MAR 8 2023

Story

Image credit: Associated Press

The Facts

According to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, seven people were killed and fifteen wounded in an explosion — thought to be a drone strike — in government-held Deir ez-Zor city in eastern Syria on Wednesday.
France 24
Syrian state media claimed that the explosion was caused by a landmine set by the Islamic State group (IS), which is active in eastern Syria, as opposed to an Israeli or US drone strike.
Syrian Arab News Agency
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and reports about what happened have been inconsistent and contradictory. Deir ez-Zor is a region of Syria with an active Iranian military presence, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claimed the attack's target was a building housing Iranian-backed militiamen.
The Associated Press
Photos from the scene show a heavily damaged building and truck, with military personnel inspecting the site.
I24News
Israel and the US have carried out repeated air and missile strikes against government forces and their Iran-backed allies in the Deir ez-Zor region, which straddles the Iraqi border.
Asharq AL
Aleppo's International Airport was also recently struck by a suspected Israeli strike early on Tuesday, causing "material damage."
ITN

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Israel has been clear that it will not permit Iran to freely move weapons and fighters through Syria if such activities threaten Israeli security. It is therefore legitimate for Israel to target Iranian assets in any of the countries into which Iran has dug its tentacles. Tehran is using the tragic earthquake as a cover to move weapons into Syria and, unfortunately, Israel must defend itself by responding to this kind of militaristic aggression.

The Times of Israel

Establishment-critical narrative

This is just another example of Israel's unjustified aggression toward Syria and the resistance as a whole. While the West continually lectures the world on national sovereignty, it says nothing when Israel attacks civilian infrastructure. Even as Syrians are being pulled from the rubble following a massive humanitarian disaster, Israel is continuing to bomb vulnerable regions.