Israel Claims Hezbollah Intelligence Chief Killed In Air Strike In Damascus

Illustration of Israeli F-35 fighter jets. (Wikimedia Commons/Deror Avi)

JAKARTA - The Israeli Air Force claims to have succeeded in killing the intelligence chief of the Hezbollah militant group for Syria in Damascus, in an attack on key infrastructure on Monday.

At least two members of Hezbollah died near the Sayyeda Zeinab area south of Damascus, home to Shiite's important shelter and guarded by pro-Iran groups, war watchdogs said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Britain-based war monitor, said the attack hit a house "used by members of Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," on agriculture in the Sayyeda Zeinab area, reported by the Daily Sabah November 5.

The Israeli military has intensified its attacks on targets in Syria since launching the war on Hezbollah in neighboring Lebanon more than a month ago.

Syrian state media also reported the attack, but said it only caused material damage.

"At around 17.18 p.m., Israeli enemies launched air aggression from the direction of the occupied Golan Heights, targeting a number of civilian locations south of Damascus, resulting in material losses," the official SANA news agency said, citing military sources.

Mehdi Mahfouz, 34, local resident said he was " three explosions in a row, one of which was very strong."

"Then I saw a cloud of massive black smoke rising," added Mahfouz.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, calling Israel's attack on civilian territory a "criminal act" and urging UN members to take swift action in "stopping Israeli aggression" and holding it accountable.

It is known, since the start of Syrian civil war in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks in Syria. Israeli authorities rarely commented on such attacks, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.

The Syrian Defense Ministry previously said Israel was targeting civilian locations in the south of the capital and had caused some damage.

Syrian and Western intelligence sources say Israeli attacks in Syria have killed many Hezbollah fighters and pro-Iran based around the eastern suburbs of Damascus and in the south of the city.