According to the Syrian news agency SANA, the Israeli attack was aimed at residential buildings and the industrial area of the city.
At least 36 people were killed and 50 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on the city of Palmyra on Wednesday, the Syrian Defense Ministry said. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and Reuters agencies.
“The Israeli enemy launched an air strike from the direction of al-Tanf area, targeting a number of buildings in the city of Palmyra,” the ministry said. It added that the attack caused significant material damage. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says the Israeli attack claimed up to 41 victims, many of whom were pro-Iranian fighters from Iraq.
Palmyra is a historical city registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city was seized by Islamic State fighters in 2015 and partially destroyed before being retaken by the Syrian army.
Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of strikes targeting the Syrian army and Iran-backed groups. Israeli officials rarely comment on individual attacks in Syria. However, they have repeatedly stated that Israel will not allow its arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in the country.
Israel has stepped up its attacks on Syria since the start of the Gaza war. Israel’s military said last week it was attacking routes on the Syrian-Lebanese border used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah to move weapons. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari stated that Israel wants to prevent any attempt by Hezbollah to import weapons from Syria.
