Damascus/Beirut, 1 April 2024 (dpa/MIA) - A general from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Mohammad Reza Sahedi, was killed on Monday in what Iran said was an Israeli strike on its consulate building in Damascus, Iran's state radio reported.

Sahedi was responsible for operations in Syria and Lebanon, according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed the killing of a leader of the Quds Force, one of five branches of the IRGC.

It said two Iranian advisors and five IRGC members were also killed in the attack, according to preliminary information. It was the second day in a row that Israel reportedly targeted Syrian territory.

According to Iranian state television, the residence of Ambassador Hussein Akbari was located on the ground floor of the affected part of the building. However, the diplomat and his family were unharmed, it said. Due to a religious holiday, no employees were believed to have been there.

Monday's attack destroyed an annex next to the Iranian embassy that served as the consulate in the al-Mezze neighbourhood of western Damascus, Syria's state-run SANA news agency said. Pictures on social media showed heavy smoke and debris next to the main building of the Iranian embassy.

"At approximately 17:00 this evening (1400 GMT), the Israeli enemy launched an air aggression from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting the Iranian consulate building in Damascus," the agency said, quoting a Syrian military source.

"Our air defence media responded to the aggression’s missiles and shot down some of them. The aggression led to the destruction of the entire building and the martyrdom and injury of everyone inside. Work is underway to recover the bodies of the martyrs and treat the wounded and remove debris."

A Syrian resident living near the area told dpa that loud bangs were heard causing panic in the streets, which were full of people.
He added that some glass was shattered in nearby buildings.

Ambulances were rushing to the area and the area was cordonned by Syrian intelligence forces, the eyewitness said.

Israel's air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighbouring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as the Lebanese Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country.

Attacks have increased since the Gaza war began almost six months ago. Late Sunday, Syria said Israel attacked an area near Damascus with four missiles, wounding two civilians.

On Friday, more than 50 people were killed in heavy air strikes in north-west Syria's Aleppo province. According to SOHR most of the victims were Syrian military personnel.

Members of the Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah militia were also among the victims, it was said. However, such high numbers of victims as a result of suspected Israeli air strikes are rare.

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