The two casualty reports
Early reports placed the casualties at two soldier killed, three Hezbollah members and a civilian. Later reports indicate three soldiers were confirmed killed, plus seven foreign fighters who were likely Hezbollah members and one civilian.
The Syrian News Agency SANA reported late on Monday that there were Israeli attacks on some military positions south of Damascus: “The Israeli attack led to two martyrs being killed and seven soldiers being wounded,” the source said, adding the fire had come from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.” SANA later reported that one civilian was also killed.
Strikes may have been targeting Hezbollah
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights suggested that the attacks could have targeted Hezbollah in the area but Israel has not yet confirmed this. This would be consistent with many Israeli strikes in recent months. The strikes rarely target the Syrian military but Shi-ite millitia groups such as Hezbollah or Iraqi Shi’ite militia. Israel tends to list any Shi’ites killed as Iranian even though they are Iraqis albeit supported by Iran but perhaps a few Iranians among them.
Hezbollah’s head, Hassan Nasrallah warned that the group would kill an Israeli soldier for each of its fighters killed by Israel when one of its fighters was killed in an Israeli strike last July 20.
Hezbollah has fought several wars against Israel. However, a 2006 ceasefire has largely been observed and there is a UN peacekeeping force along the Lebanon-Israel border. The Syrian civil war has killed more than 380,000 and displaced millions of people from their homes.
