The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on Sunday that unidentified drones carried out airstrikes on a convoy of 25 refrigerated trucks in eastern Deir Ezzor, near the Euphrates River which marks the border between Iraq and Syria. The drones destroyed the trucks and killed and injured the people inside them.
According to SOHR, the attack targeted six trucks that crossed into Syria from Iraq at the Al-Bukamal crossing, which is an Iranian militia stronghold, shortly before the attack. SOHR activists reported seeing International Coalition drones hovering over the area and ambulances rushing to the burning trucks.
In December, outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi hinted that Israel was behind an attack on a truck convoy in Syria in November, saying Israeli intelligence capabilities made it possible to strike specific targets across the region, revealing Israel’s secret war against Iran and its proxies. That November strike hit Iranian fuel trucks as well as trucks carrying weapons for the Iranian militias. According to SOHR, at least 14 people, most of them militiamen, were killed.
SOHR reported on December 27 that vehicles belonging to Hezbollah crossed into Syria from Iraq at the Al-Al-Bukamal crossing. According to the same report, that convoy was led by a senior Hezbollah official.
Also according to SOHR: on January 24, refrigerator trucks arrived at a compound belonging to the Afghan Fatimiyoun militia in Al-Mayadeen, eastern Syria, and unloaded their cargo at warehouses there.
The attack on the convoy in eastern Syria came only hours after armed drones targeted an Iranian drone manufacturing facility in Isfahan, causing visible damage.
According to Israel’s defense ministry, Israel is among the world’s leaders in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The UAV provides the IDF and the wider defense establishment with a strategic advantage. It is primarily used for reconnaissance, infantry support, defense missions, and more. As needs diversify, so too do the capabilities of UAVs. Today, Israel’s UAVs are not only able to fly higher, longer and farther, but they can also conduct any mission at hand, day or night, rain or shine.
Sounds convincing.
Update: On Monday, there were two more airstrikes and an oil truck smuggling weapons and ammunition was blown up.
