Israel strikes in Syria kill dozens, including soldiers and Hezbollah militants

Israel carried out airstrikes in Syria early Friday that killed dozens of Syrian soldiers and several members of Hezbollah as well as civilians, according to a spokesperson for Hezbollah and Syria’s state news agency.

The attack, which occurred near the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, marked the most significant escalation of Israel’s military campaign against Iranian-backed forces beyond its borders since the outbreak of the war in Gaza. The Israeli military, which rarely acknowledges its Syria operations, declined to comment on the strikes.

Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group and political party, announced Friday that seven of its members had been killed, without providing details on the circumstances. A spokesperson for the group, who spoke on the condition of anonymity according to the organization’s rules, said four of the group’s members had been killed in the Aleppo strikes. The spokesperson also said dozens of Syrian soldiers were killed.

Read more: Washington Post