In a significant development on March 1st, Iranian media outlets reported the death of an Iranian officer in Syria, a consequence of Israeli airstrikes targeting a Revolutionary Guard base in Baniyas, located in the Tartous countryside. Confirmed by private sources to Sawt Al-Asimah, the officer, identified as Reza Zarei, served as a field commander within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Zarei was known for his ties to the Hamas movement and played a pivotal role in logistical coordination between the Revolutionary Guard and Palestinian factions.
The assault also claimed the lives of three additional individuals, including two Lebanese citizens affiliated with the Hezbollah militia. Local social media accounts reported that three explosions were heard at 4 AM, aiming at a farm situated in the Batraya region, on the pathway connecting Ras Al-Nabaa and Al-Marqab villages, close to Baniyas.
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The Iranian Mehr News Agency, citing the Iranian Naval Force’s leadership, disclosed that Zarei was a commander in the Revolutionary Guard’s first naval sector. His death was the direct result of an Israeli operation targeting a facility within the Baniyas port of Syria.
Moreover, the agency noted that the strike not only led to the demise of several Revolutionary Guard members but also impacted local farmers by hitting one of their main headquarters near the Syrian coastline.
Further compounding the loss, a general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the commander of an Iranian intelligence unit, Youssef Omid War “Haji Sadiq,” along with four associates responsible for amassing security and intelligence reports in Syria, were killed in an airstrike targeting their Damascus headquarters in the Mezzeh Villas neighbourhood on January 20 of the previous year.
Additionally, the second-ranking Iranian in Syria, Reza Mousavi, fell victim to an Israeli airstrike on January 25, which targeted his residence near the Sayyida Zeinab area in the Damascus countryside, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions in the region.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
