BEIRUT: Violent explosions were heard from missile stockpiles of pro-Iran militias east of Syria’s capital Damascus before dawn on Sunday, according to a war monitor.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that residents of the Damascus region heard the blasts, which originated from the warehouses of pro-Iran militias in a mountainous area east of the capital.
It is unclear whether the explosions were caused by an airstrike or a ground operation, said Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the Observatory.
Over the course of the war in Syria, Israel has launched numerous airstrikes on Syrian territory, particularly targeting Iran-backed forces, Hezbollah fighters, and Syrian army positions.
Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported that the sounds of explosions were heard on the outskirts of Damascus during the night.
Last Monday, four Syrian soldiers and two Iran-backed fighters were killed in pre-dawn Israeli airstrikes near Damascus, as stated by the Observatory, marking a deadly Israeli air raid on the war-torn capital.
The airstrikes targeted Syrian regime forces as well as military positions and weapons depots used by armed groups supported by Tehran, according to the monitor.
With support from Iran and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad’s government has reclaimed much of the territory that was previously lost to rebels at the start of the conflict in 2011.
Israel rarely comments on its strikes in Syria, but it has consistently stated that it will not allow Iran to expand its presence there, considering Iran its arch foe.
The Syrian war has resulted in the death of over half a million people and the displacement of millions more.