DAMASCUS, May 9 (Xinhua) -- An opposition monitor group on Wednesday claimed that at least 15 fighters were killed in an Israeli missile attack that targeted a Syrian military base southwest of the capital Damascus on Tuesday night.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said eight Iranians are among those who lost their lives in the Israeli missile attack, which targeted arms depots and rocket launchers in the Kisweh area southwest of Damascus.
It added that it is not clear whether the rest of the dead fighters were Iranians or pro-Iran fighters, adding that the death toll is likely to rise as some of the wounded are in critical conditions.
A day earlier, Syrian state news agency SANA said two civilians were killed by the Israeli attack, adding that the Syrian air defenses destroyed two Israeli missiles, with the state TV putting on a brief video footage showing fire emerging from an area in Kisweh.
The state TV said the fire was caused by pieces of the Israeli missiles that fell on Kisweh after the air defenses targeted them.
The Israeli attack comes amid heightened tension with Iran, following Israel attacked last month Syrian positions where Iranian military experts were located. It also comes after the United States announced to withdraw from the international nuclear deal with Iran.
