DAMASCUS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from an Israeli missile attack that hit sites in and around the city of Palmyra in central Syria on Wednesday has risen to 49, with over 50 others wounded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Britain-based watchdog group reported that among the fatalities were 24 Syrian nationals affiliated with Iranian militias, including officers in the Syrian government forces-one of whom was a brigadier general loyal to Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, 22 non-Syrian fighters, mostly from the Iraqi "Harakat al-Nujaba" (Al-Nujaba Movement), and three unidentified individuals were killed.
The number of casualties is expected to rise due to the presence of critically injured among the more than 50 wounded, which include at least seven civilians, one of whom is in critical condition.
According to the Observatory, Israeli aircraft targeted three separate sites in Palmyra. Two are in the al-Jami'ah neighborhood, a weapon warehouse near the industrial area inhabited by families of Iran-backed fighters of Iraqi and other foreign nationalities.
The third site was reportedly hosting a meeting of leaders from Iranian militias in Palmyra and the Syrian Desert, along with commanders from the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement and a leader from Lebanon's Hezbollah.
Israeli warplanes reportedly flew over the southern province of Daraa, reaching the airspace over al-Tanf before targeting Palmyra.
For its part, the Syrian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction of the al-Tanf area around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, targeting a number of buildings in the city of Palmyra in the Syrian Desert.
Since the beginning of 2024, Israel has conducted 152 attacks on Syrian territory, including 126 aerial strikes and 26 ground attacks, resulting in the destruction of approximately 273 targets, including weapons and ammunition depots, headquarters, centers, and vehicles, according to the Observatory.
The strikes have led to the deaths of 352 military personnel and the injury of 305 others.
Palmyra, located in the eastern countryside of Homs province, comprises a residential area and an archaeological site dating back to the Neolithic period. ■
