Death toll rises to 79 in Israeli airstrikes on Syria's Palmyra

The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on the ancient city of Palmyra in eastern Syria has risen to 79, reported Xinhua, quoting the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Thursday.

Among the dead are 53 pro-Iran militia members of Syrian nationality, including eight officers and non-commissioned officers collaborating with Lebanon's Hezbollah, the war monitor said.

In addition, 22 non-Syrian fighters, mostly from the Iraqi militia Harakat al-Nujaba, and four members of Hezbollah were reported killed.

The airstrikes also wounded 34 others, including seven civilians, according to the observatory.

Israeli warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes Wednesday targeting three sites in Palmyra, located in the eastern countryside of Homs province. The observatory said the strikes focused on a meeting that included leaders from pro-Iran militias.

Two other sites were hit in the al-Jami'iyah neighborhood, one of which was a weapon depot near the industrial area in Palmyra. The area houses families of Iran-affiliated fighters of Iraqi and other foreign nationalities, according to the report.

The attacks followed intensive Israeli aircraft activity over the countryside of Daraa, extending to the al-Tanf area near the Syrian-Iraqi border where the U.S. forces have a base, before proceeding to strike Palmyra, said the observatory.

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, and vehicles, according to the observatory.

The strikes have led to the deaths of 352 military personnel and the injury of 305 others, said the observatory.