A day after heavy air strikes in northwest Syria, the death toll has risen to 52, according to activists. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the majority were Syrian military personnel. Seven members of the Lebanese Hezbollah militia were also among the victims.
The suspected Israeli attacks in Aleppo took place on Friday morning. According to the activists, they targeted, among other things, a pro-Iranian Hezbollah rocket depot near the airport. When asked, the Israeli army said it did not want to comment on the reports.
Israel’s air force repeatedly bombs targets in neighboring Syria in an attempt to prevent Iran and its allied militias such as Hezbollah from expanding their military influence in the country. Israeli attacks have increased since the Gaza war began in early October. However, such high numbers of victims are rare. The Observatory spoke of the deadliest Israeli air strikes in three years.