According to Iranian media, an aide perished in an Israeli strike that claimed the lives of 16 members of pro-Iranian groups early on Monday in Aleppo, in northern Syria.
"One of the IRGC's advisers in Syria, Saeed Abyar, was martyred during the Zionist regime's attack on Aleppo last night,"
"The death toll of the Israeli strike on a factory in Hayyan in western Aleppo province has risen to 16 pro-Iran group members, including Syrian and foreign fighters," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had earlier stated.
12 deaths were first reported by the Britain-based Observatory, which is dependent on a network of sources within Syria.
It said that pro-Iranian factions with a mix of foreign and domestic militants hold significant sway over Hayyan, a region under government authority.
Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes on its northern neighbor, primarily hitting army sites and rebels backed by Iran, including members of Lebanon's Hezbollah organization.
Following the start of Israel's conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7, when the Palestinian terrorist organization backed by Iran launched an unprecedented onslaught against Israel, the number of strikes escalated.
However, the Observatory claimed that they slowed following the fatal attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus on April 1st, which was attributed to Israel and precipitated the highest level of tension in the region as well as Iran's first-ever direct attack on Israel.
"After midnight... the Israeli enemy launched an air attack from the southeast of Aleppo, targeting some positions" close to the city, according to a statement from the Syrian Ministry of Defense. "Martyrs" and "some material damage" were recorded.
Although Israel rarely discusses specific operations in Syria, it has made it clear time and again that it will not permit Iran, its bitter adversary, to increase its footprint there.
The Observatory reports that six Hezbollah members, including three Syrians, and a youngster were killed by Israeli attacks in western and central Syria on Wednesday.
An ally of Hamas, Hezbollah has long fought alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil conflict raging in his nation.
According to the Observatory, 52 persons were killed in Israeli airstrikes near Aleppo airport in March, including seven Hezbollah members, seven Syrian rebels who supported Iran, and 38 government soldiers.
Since the conflict in Syria began in 2011 as a result of Damascus cracking down on anti-government protests, more than half a million people have died and millions more have been displaced.
