Israeli Artillery Attack on Iranian-Backed Militants Near Syrian Border

On Saturday night, November 6, the Israeli army shelled positions of Iranian-backed militants near the Syrian border. According to Lebanese and Syrian sources, the Israeli army targeted the Syrian army and Iranian-backed militants in the Quneitra region close to the Syrian border with artillery fire. The Jerusalem Post reported that the attacks were in response to a missile fired from Syria towards Israel on Saturday. Aside from a rocket that was fired from Lebanon towards Israel on Friday night and landed in Syrian territory, no other launches from Syria were reported by the Israeli army or Israeli sources on Saturday. Previously, the Iranian Foreign Minister had warned on Friday, November 5, during a meeting with the UN Secretary-General about the 'potential for the expansion of the war and opening new fronts in the region' against Israel. The Pentagon spokesperson confirmed the U.S. attacks on Thursday night against positions used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria. Pat Ryder stated, 'On Thursday night, U.S. F-16 and F-15 fighter jets conducted defensive strikes on a weapons depot and ammunition storage facilities used by the IRGC and affiliated groups in Albu Kamal, Syria, both of which were destroyed.' U.S. President Joe Biden, in a letter on November 5 to U.S. congressional leaders, referred to the U.S. attack on facilities related to Iranian-backed militants in eastern Syria, stating that U.S. military forces are 'prepared to take further actions' if necessary regarding attacks on these positions by Iranian proxy groups. Biden wrote, 'The purpose of these attacks was to create deterrence and was conducted in a manner that limited the risk of escalation and prevented civilian casualties.' The U.S. President added, 'I conducted these attacks to protect and defend our forces, disrupt ongoing attacks against the United States and our partners, and deter the [Iranian] government and Iranian-backed militant groups from carrying out or supporting further attacks on U.S. forces and facilities.' The U.S., the European Union, and Japan have designated the Hamas militant group, which is supported by the Islamic Republic, as a terrorist organization.