20 Dead After Israeli Warplanes Reportedly Attack Iranian Military Base in Syria

Summary:

• Pro-syrian govt media: no attack on Jabal Azzan in the Aleppo Province
• All other media: attack on Jabal Azzan in the Aleppo Province
• Explosion happened near location where pro-Iranian Afghani Fatemiyoun located.
• Unclear if explosion result of airstrike or explosives detonating within the warehouse.
• At least 20 dead including Iranian officers.

Update 1725ET: There is at least one purported video of the attack on Aleppo that suggests it was an airstrike…

Airstrikes targeting Iranian militants in Jabal Ezzan in northern Aleppo countryside#Syria pic.twitter.com/0Ks6LsqnV3

— Majd khalaf (@majdkhalaf1993) April 14, 2018

Other sources claiming ISIS launched an attack on Assad forces and allied Shiite militias in outskirts of Al-Mayadeen city, east of Deir Ezzor

Update 1615ET: Hezbollah-tied news media is denying any airstrikes took place.

pro-syrian govt media: no attack in aleppo
all other media: attack in aleppo

— Lee Saks (@Lee_Saks) April 14, 2018

“These rumors being circulated to raise morale of terrorists, which was brought low after failure of tripartite aggression on Syria.”

 

Al-Mayadeen denies reports of an Israeli strike in Jabal Azzan…

“Trusted sources on the ground tell Al-Mayadeen: there is no truth to Israeli enemy media’s reports of Israeli strike on southern Aleppo countryside.”

With al-Ahed reporting that the source of explosions in Aleppo was from detonating explosives, not airstrikes.

5-Hezbollah’s @C_Military1: news of Israeli strike in southern Aleppo countryside and in southern Syria inaccurate. “These rumors being circulated to raise morale of terrorists, which was brought low after failure of tripartite aggression on Syria.” https://t.co/7UkCCww3LP

— David Daoud (@DavidADaoud) April 14, 2018

*  *  *

Update 1555ET: as expected, Israel has been named as the perpetrator:

• FOUR ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES ON IRANIAN BASE IN ALEPPO #SYRIA – REPORTS: i24

According to unconfirmed reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, there have been a number of casualties following the strike. It remains unclear if those killed were Syrians or Iranians. If the latter, Iran may soon be in a state of war with Israel.

SOHR further claims that there are casualties following the strike, according to al-Arabiya #Syria

— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) April 14, 2018

Maariv reports that at least 20 Iranian Officers were killed in Aleppo due to the airstrikes.

Airstrikes targeting Iranian militants in Jabal Ezzan in northern Aleppo countryside#Syria pic.twitter.com/0Ks6LsqnV3

— Majd khalaf (@majdkhalaf1993) April 14, 2018

* * *

Trump’s mission in Syria may be “accomplished”, but Israel’s is just getting be getting started (as we speculated).

According to a reports by SkyNews Arabia and Al Arabiya, a huge explosion was heard at the Iranian base Jabal Azzan located in Syria’s Aleppo after it was struck by “unidentified warplanes.”

ناشطون: انفجار ضخم في أحد أكبر مخازن الميليشيات الإيرانية في جبل عزان بريف حلب الجنوبي

— سكاي نيوز عربية-الآن (@SkyNewsArabia_B) April 14, 2018

Al-Arabiya quotes SOHR as confirming that an explosion took place in Jabal Azzan in the Aleppo Province. Nature of the explosion unconfirmed #Syria https://t.co/FvyKffOeS6

— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) April 14, 2018

Other sources, including Israel’s Jerusalem Post, confirm the strike:

• POSSIBLE STRIKE AGAINST IRAN BASE, WEAPONS WAREHOUSE IN SOUTHERN ALEPPO SYRIA FOLLOWING REPORTS OF EXPLOSIONS: JPOST
• MILITANTS SAY EXPLOSIONS AT LARGE IRANIAN MILITIA BASE IN ALEPPO: AL HADATH

An unconfirmed photo of the strike:

pic.twitter.com/omn1zNihUs

— Lee Saks (@Lee_Saks) April 14, 2018

The alleged Iranian airbase was first disclosed in late February, when Fox News published images showing a military base northeast of Syria’s capital. According to the report, Iran’s Al Quds force is operating the post.

For more information, please see “Israeli Satellite Images Reveal: Iran Builds Military Base Near Damascus.”

While it is too early to determine who launched the attack, since none of the western forces have claimed responsibility, the most likely party is Israel which as a reminder, was also the first to strike Syria last Monday, almost a week before the US-coalition forces also unloaded on Syria.

Developing.