Explosions rock warehouses of Iran-backed groups near Damascus

Loud explosions were heard in rocket warehouses belonging to Iran-backed groups west of the capital Damascus early Sunday, resulting in material damage, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 

The Observatory, headquartered in the UK with a network of sources across Syria, confirmed that intense explosions were heard early Sunday in the capital Damascus and its surroundings. It was determined that these explosions originated from a blast at rocket warehouses belonging to militias affiliated with Iran, located in a mountainous area west of the capital Damascus. 

The explosions caused material losses, while no information about human casualties has been reported so far. 

The Director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami Abdurrahman, told Agence France-Presse, "There is no information yet about the nature of the incident, whether it was an aerial bombardment or a ground operation." 

On Monday, four Syrian soldiers and two pro-Iran fighters were killed in Israeli airstrikes targeting military sites and weapons depots near Damascus at dawn, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 

Two Syrian soldiers and five foreign fighters were injured in the airstrikes that destroyed weapons and ammunition stores of Iran-affiliated groups and allies of the Syrian regime, especially near Damascus International Airport. 

Israel rarely confirms strikes in Syria but has repeatedly stated its commitment to countering what it describes as Iran's attempts to solidify its military presence in Syria. 

On July 19, three fighters were killed and four others were injured in an Israeli strike that targeted sites belonging to the Syrian army and pro-Tehran groups near Damascus, according to the Observatory. Syrian state media reported injuries to two soldiers. 

Israel also targeted an air defense base in the coastal province of Tartus, according to the same source. 

Syria has been embroiled in a bloody conflict since 2011, resulting in the deaths of nearly half a million people and causing immense damage to infrastructure. Millions have been displaced within and outside the country. 

AFP