| Syria missile strikes (January 2021) | |
|---|---|
| Part of theIran–Israel conflict in theSyrian civil war | |
| Location | |
| Planned by |  Israel |
| Target |  Liwa Fatemiyoun |
| Date | 13 January 2021 (2021-01-13) 22 January 2021 (2021-01-22) |
| Executed by |  Israeli Air Force |
| Casualties | 57 on 13 January[1] 4 civilians on 22 January Total – 61 |
A series of airstrikes were carried out by theIsraeli Air Force on multiple Iranian-linked targets in theDeir ez-Zor Governorate ofSyria on 13 January 2021.[2] 57 people were killed according to Israeli reports. Iranian sources confirmed the strikes, but said that only Syrian Army positions were hit. Israel carried out another airstrike inHama nine days later, killing a family of four, including two children, according to Syrian state media.[3]
According to the Syrian state news agency SANA Israeli aircraft carried out aerial assault at 1:10am onDeir ez-Zor city and theAl Bukamal region. The strikes were aimed at arms depots and military positions belonging to theLiwa Fatemiyoun.[4] TheSyrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that over 18 strikes had struck the area.[5] The first reports mentioned a death toll of 23 killed and around 30 people injured.[6][7] Later that day the death toll was adjusted to 57, including 14 Syrian regime forces, 16 Iraqi militias and 11 Iran-backed fighters. The Israeli strikes in both Deir ez-Zor city andMayadin destroyed weapons warehouses and headquarters. While inAl Bukamal military positions and ammunition depots were targeted.[8]
With the risen death toll, these were the deadliest airstrikes conducted by theIsraeli Air Force on eastern Syria since the start of the conflict. Observers have warned that Israel and theUnited States will increase attacks againstIran in the final days of theTrump administration, which gave unprecedented support to the government of the Israeli prime minister,Benjamin Netanyahu.[9] US officials confirmed that the strikes were carried out with intelligence provided by the United States. According to one official,US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo discussed the airstrikes two days earlier withYossi Cohen, chief of Israel'sMossad spy agency, inWashington, D.C.[10]
Israel carried out another airstrike in the country on 22 January 2021, near the city ofHama, killing a family of four, including two children. This marked the first time Israel carried out a military operation in Syria since the newUS president Joe Biden took office.[11]
The SOHR reported on 15 January that the Iranian-backed factions started to redeploy in the cities ofal-Mayadin andAbu Kamal, as well as along the Syria-Iraq border. According to observers in the region, the militias changed their positions and started to redeploy vehicles in different neighborhoods of Mayadin.[12]
Following the fear of new Israeli attacks on Iranian positions in Syria, dozens of pro-Iranian fighters left their militias to join the Fifth Corps established byRussia.[13]
Iran – A deputy commander of theQuds Force of theIRGC, Ahmad Karimkhani, rejected some reports and denied the killing of any IRGC and Fatemiyoun members during the raids calling it "fake propaganda". He added that Israeli attacks on IRGC forces positions on Syria will face a harsh reaction.[14][15]Israel – Israel's Defense MinisterBenny Gantz generally stated that Israel will "remain vigilant on all our frontiers". He further reiterated that Israel will take action against anyone who tries to challenge them, whether they are close by or far away. "We’re not sitting and waiting.", he added.[16] The Minister of Settlement Affairs,Tzachi Hanegbi, commented that "Israel is determined to prevent Iranian military entrenchment in Syria".[17]| Background | |
|---|---|
| 2024 Iran–Israel conflict |
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| 2025 Iran–Israel war | |
| Hezbollah–Israel conflict |
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| Israeli–Palestinian conflict | |
| Gaza–Israel conflict |
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| Syrian civil war |
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| Red Sea crisis | |
| International incidents |
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| Nuclear program of Iran | |
| Related |
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