Syrian media outlets have begun broadcasting images from Damascus showing the aftermath of an alleged Israeli airstrike targeting Iranian leaders.
Social media posts showed significant damage to a building next to the Iranian embassy, which was identified as the Iranian consulate and ambassador's residence.
Preliminary reports indicate there were six fatalities, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior official in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). According to multiple sources, Zahedi led the IRGC's Quds Force, a heavily armed paramilitary unit responsible for carrying out Iran's military operations beyond its borders.
The Times of Israel continues:
A Reuters report said the consulate was “flattened,” in what it said was “a startling apparent escalation of conflict in the Middle East that would pit Israel against Iran and its allies.”
Iran's Tasnim news agency cited sources who indicated that at least six people were killed in the strike. It said the number was not yet officially confirmed.
Reuters quoted Iran's ambassador in Syria warning that Iran's response to the strike would be harsh.
Footage from the scene showed that the targeted building had been destroyed in the strike. Next to the rubble, an Iranian flag was seen flying over the Iranian embassy.
According to Syrian state-controlled media, Damascus' air defense systems downed some of the Israeli missiles.
Authorities are working to rescue the dead and injured from the rubble.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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