Israel killed a Hezbollah fighter in a strike on Syria near the Lebanese border on Thursday, following previous attacks. Hezbollah controls areas along the eastern Lebanese border with Syria, including Qusayr, which was targeted in the strike. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that an Israeli drone strike on a truck killed the Hezbollah fighter in the Qusayr area. Israeli strikes also hit Syrian air defense and radar sites near Damascus.
Syrian state media did not report the strikes, but an AFP correspondent in Damascus heard explosions. Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups have been supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war. Israel has conducted numerous air strikes against pro-Iran forces in Syria since the conflict began in 2011, increasing during the ongoing war with Hamas.
Recent strikes have targeted Syrian pro-Hezbollah fighters near Damascus, with casualties reported. Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes but remains committed to preventing Iran from gaining a foothold in Syria. The Syrian war has resulted in over half a million deaths and displaced millions since it started in 2011.
