Five IRGC Members Killed in Damascus Attack; Quds Force Intelligence Deputy Among the Dead

Syrian and Iranian state media reported that an Israeli attack on the Syrian capital on Saturday, January 30, destroyed a four-story building used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), killing at least five members of this military force of the Islamic Republic. The Telegram channel 'Saberin News', affiliated with the IRGC, reported the deaths of Sadegh Omidzadeh, the deputy of Quds Force intelligence, and his successor, 'Haj Gholam (Moharram)', in this attack. According to the Associated Press, the Syrian army stated that the building was located in the 'Mazzeh' neighborhood in western Damascus and was heavily guarded. The report indicated that the building used by the IRGC was completely destroyed, and the Israeli Air Force fired missiles while flying over the Golan Heights. However, the Israeli army has not commented on this attack so far. According to the Associated Press, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that at least six people; five Iranians and one Syrian, were killed in this missile attack, noting that the attack occurred while officials of Iranian-backed groups were holding a meeting. This organization did not mention the names of these groups. Rami Abdulrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the Associated Press that three of the Iranians held command positions and added that four others remain missing under the rubble. According to the report, security forces are deployed around the destroyed building, and ambulances and fire trucks are seen at the scene. According to the Associated Press, one of the grocery sellers near the building said he heard five consecutive explosions around ten in the morning and then witnessed the transfer of the bodies of a man and a woman, as well as three injured individuals. A video released in the media shows large smoke rising in the 'Mazzeh' neighborhood. Syrian state media described the attack as an 'Israeli aggression'. As of the time of this report, Israeli officials have not confirmed the claims made in the media. Previously, on January 8, six informed sources told Reuters that Israel had launched an unprecedented wave of deadly attacks in Syria targeting trucks, infrastructure, and individuals associated with the transfer of weapons from the Islamic Republic of Iran to its proxy forces in the region. These sources, including an intelligence officer from the Syrian army and a commander of a regional coalition supporting Damascus, stated that Israel had changed its strategy following the October 7 attack by Hamas. According to these sources, although Israel has been targeting Iranian-related objectives in Syria for years, it is now conducting deadlier and more frequent airstrikes against Iranian air defense systems and weapon transfer operations in Syria. Meanwhile, Nasser Kanani, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that Tehran, in addition to pursuing political, legal, and international measures against these actions, which he described as 'aggressive and criminal', reserves its right to respond to Israel at an appropriate time and place. In recent days, the Islamic Republic has conducted missile attacks in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan and has defended these actions in the face of widespread criticism in the Middle East and the world.