War in the Middle East: Syria: 36 dead after Israeli attack in Palmyra

According to Syrian sources, 36 people were killed in an Israeli attack on the city of Palmyra. The state news agency Sana also reported that more than 50 people were injured in the attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights even spoke of 49 deaths after the attack. The Israeli military did not initially comment.

The activists reported to the observatory that fighters from pro-Iranian militias were among the dead. The Israeli Air Force attacked three targets in the industrial area in the oasis city. This also included a weapons warehouse. It was inhabited by families of pro-Iranian fighters. The state agency reported that the buildings hit were badly damaged.

Previously, the UK-based Observatory reported that the strikes hit targets near the historic part of the city.

Over 150 Israeli attacks in Syria since the beginning of the year

The Israeli army has been increasingly attacking targets of Hezbollah and other militias loyal to Iran in Syria since the war in the Middle East began more than a year ago. The observatory has counted over 150 such attacks since the beginning of the year.

Palmyra in the central Syrian desert is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been the site of heavy fighting in the past. Before the civil war in Syria began in March 2011, the site was a popular destination for archaeologists and tourists. In 2015, jihadists from the terrorist organization Islamic State took over the site and destroyed the cultural monuments there before they were driven out of Palmyra in 2017.