Missile attack kills 7 in Shiite stronghold south of Damascus

Seven people, including members of pro-Iran militias, lost their lives in a suspected missile attack on a Shiite stronghold south of the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday, reported Xinhua, quoting a war monitor.

The casualties include a Syrian guard who was protecting one of the leaders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) inside Syrian territories. Additionally, three victims were believed to be members of the IRGC, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has attributed the attack to Israel.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the Observatory, highlighted that the targeted area is home to strongholds for Lebanese Hezbollah, the IRGC and the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement. The missile attack reportedly destroyed a headquarters for one of these parties in the area.

Abdul-Rahman said the attack might be connected to the recent attack by pro-Iran militias that resulted in the killing and injuring of around 40 American soldiers in one of the American bases on the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian borders on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Defense Ministry issued a statement, stating "around 1:00 p.m. (1000 GMT), the Zionist enemy launched an aerial attack from the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, targeting several points south of Damascus. This resulted in a number of civilian fatalities and injuries, as well as some material losses."

The incident is indicative of the heightened tension in the region between Iran-backed fighters, Israel, and the United States. This escalation occurred concurrently with the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip.