{"id":63120,"date":"2018-05-25T01:08:08","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T01:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/25\/report-airstrikes-on-syria-pro-government-positions-kill-12\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T12:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T12:03:56","slug":"report-airstrikes-on-syria-pro-government-positions-kill-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2018\/05\/25\/report-airstrikes-on-syria-pro-government-positions-kill-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Airstrikes on Syria pro-government positions kill 12"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BEIRUT \u2014 Airstrikes overnight in eastern Syria killed at least 12 pro-government fighters, all reportedly foreign nationals, a war-monitoring group said Thursday. The Syrian government-run media blamed the strikes on the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Damascus, the SANA news agency said coalition aircraft struck military positions between the towns of Boukamal and Hmeimeh in Deir el-Zour province. It did not report any casualties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the war through a network of activists on the ground, said the fatalities were not Syrian nationals but foreign fighters. It said the coalition was likely behind the strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon said it had \u201cno information\u201d to substantiate reports the coalition was behind the latest airstrikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late on Thursday, Syrian TV reported a military base in central Syria came under attack from \u201cenemy\u201d fire and that Syrian air defenses confronted a missile attack. It did not give additional details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minutes earlier, SANA reported loud explosions at Dabaa airbase in Homs province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Syria\u2019s government forces have relied on support from the Lebanese group Hezbollah and other regional militias, organized by Iran to wage war on Syrian rebels and ISIS militants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their reach in Syria has alarmed the Trump administration in Washington and Netanyahu\u2019s government in Tel Aviv, which say that Iran\u2019s expansive networks in the war-torn country threaten Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not allow Iran to threaten Israel from Syria. The Israeli military<\/a> is believed to be behind dozens of airstrikes in recent years against Hezbollah, Iran, and Syrian military positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, days after President Donald Trump revoked America\u2019s participation in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has threatened Iran with the \u201cstrongest sanctions in history\u201d unless Tehran withdraws all its forces from Syria and terminates its support for Hezbollah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran has dismissed those threats, saying its forces are in Syria at the invitation of President Bashar Assad\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strikes targeted \u201cmovements\u201d of pro-government forces, near the T2 oil pumping station, the Observatory said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t