The Killing of Saeed Alidadi, a Member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in an Attack Attributed to Israel in Damascus

On Friday, February 2, Iranian media reported the killing of Saeed Alidadi, 'one of the military advisors' of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Syria, due to an attack attributed to Israel. Iranian officials use the term 'advisor' for their military forces in Syria, which have been deployed in recent years to support the government of Bashar al-Assad. The Student News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Republic's Student Basij, claims that he was killed following an attack by Israeli fighter jets on southern Damascus, the capital of Syria. Iranian media did not provide further details on this matter and did not mention Saeed Alidadi's military position. Previously, the official Syrian news agency, 'SANA,' citing a military source from that country, reported that points in southern Damascus were targeted in the attack, which only resulted in material damage. On Thursday, February 1, Reuters reported, citing five informed sources, that the IRGC has reduced the deployment of its senior commanders in Syria following a wave of deadly Israeli attacks and will maintain its influence there primarily relying on its proxy militias. In an Israeli attack on January 20 of this year on a building in the outskirts of Damascus, five IRGC members were killed, including 'Sadegh Omidzadeh, the deputy of Quds Force intelligence in Syria, and his successor, Haj Gholam (Moharram).' Earlier, on December 24, 'Razi Mousavi, known as Seyyed Razi, a veteran IRGC member in Syria,' was killed in an Israeli attack on the Zainabiyah area in the outskirts of Damascus. Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for these attacks. *This report has been rewritten and corrected. Reuters: IRGC has withdrawn some of its commanders from Syria following Israeli attacks. Seven people were killed in an attack attributed to Israel in southern Damascus. Five members of the IRGC were killed in the attack on Damascus; the deputy of Quds Force intelligence was among the dead.