Senior Commander Presumed Dead in Airstrikes in Eastern Syria

By Yoni Weiss

Reports from Syrian media outlets indicate that multiple sites belonging to Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the Deir Ezzor region of eastern Syria were targeted by airstrikes late Monday night. Initial reports suggest that high-ranking IRGC members were present at one of the locations hit during the airstrikes.

The strikes resulted in numerous casualties, with both fatalities and injuries reported by the pro-Hezbollah news station Al-Mayadeen. A militia source aligned with the Assad regime mentioned that 10 separate airstrikes struck areas around Al-Bukamal and neighboring villages, as reported by Iran’s Mehr News Agency.

While several Syrian outlets have accused the United States of carrying out the strikes, there has been no official confirmation from American authorities. A US military official denied any involvement to Al-Jazeera on Monday evening. Unverified reports have circulated suggesting that an IRGC commander known as Hajj Asker was injured or killed. However, as of early Tuesday, Iranian and Syrian officials have yet to confirm these claims.

The airstrikes occurred following a drone and rocket assault the previous day targeting a base used by the US-led coalition in northeast Syria, according to Syrian reports.