Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian Military Advisors in Damascus, Killing Senior Intelligence Official

Smoke rose from the Mezzeh neighborhood west of Damascus on Saturday morning, caused by an Israeli airstrike, according to Syria. 

However, the strike targeted a four-story building up close, causing casualties. This building is located in an area housing security and military headquarters, embassies, UN organizations, and residences of prominent Palestinian leaders.

But who was the target? Was it the Islamic Jihad movement or pro-Iranian leaders? The representative of the Islamic Jihad movement in Syria confirmed that all of the movement's members in Damascus are safe and that the attack did not hit any of the movement's offices.

Later, it was revealed that the target was the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which announced in a statement the assassination of four of its military advisors in the Israeli strike without providing additional details. It later disclosed their names, including Hujjat al-Islam Omidvar, also known as Haji Sadiq, according to Iranian media.

So, who is he? He is an intelligence official in the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Syria. 

Haji Sadiq is considered the mastermind behind attacks against US forces in Syria, as reported by The Washington Post last year. 

He was tasked with escalating attacks against US forces and reportedly played a role in sending unidentified elements to scout and capture reconnaissance photos of the routes used by US forces in northern and eastern Syria.

In the end, what is the objective of this airstrike? Is it part of a response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's attack on Erbil targeting Mossad-affiliated centers?