At least five men belonging to pro-Iranian militias were killed in a pre-dawn strike on Sunday in Iraq along the border with Syria, according to Syrian rights group.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack targeting the Tehran-backed groups, took place near the city of Abu Kamal in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq.

The Syria-Iraq border crossing at Al Bukamal

The presence of Iranian-backed forces has made the area a target for aerial attack, often attributed to Israel.

Israeli military officially confirmed last month it had targeted the area in a series of wide-scale airstrikes that left at least 23 people, believed to be Iranians, dead.

The army said that during the November 20 raid, its fighter jets hit multiple targets belonging to Iran's elite Quds force, including surface-to-air missiles, weapons warehouses and military bases. After the Syrian military fired an air defense missile, the Israeli military said a number of Syrian aerial defense batteries were also destroyed.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the need to counter the Iranian aggression in the Middle East just hours before the reports about the lastest strike surfaced.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ( Photo: AFP )

"On Saturday there was a bloody attack in Baghdad in which over 20 innocent Iraqi demonstrators were murdered," said Netanyahu. "I would like to tell you that there are growing indications that this murderous attack in Baghdad was carried out by Shiite Iraqi militias on direct instruction from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards," he added.

"At this time, against this murderousness, the pressure on Iran must be increased. This is what I am calling on the countries of Europe to do. I would also like to make it clear that with or without the countries of Europe, Israel will not allow Iran – at any stage – to develop nuclear weapons."







