Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gestures during an inauguration ceremony of the Ramon International Airport just outside the southern Red Sea resort city of Eilat, Israel January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun Israel launched several airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria on January 21, resulting in 21 dead, 12 of whom were Iranian soldiers.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), 12 of the 21 dead were members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), six were members of the Syrian military and the rest were foreign nationals.
Iran is disputing that they suffered any casualties, instead saying that Syria’s air defenses intercepted seven Israeli missiles.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said that the strikes were in response to Iran launching a missile toward the Golan Heights near the Mount Hermon Ski Resort on Jan. 20, which was intercepted by the Iron Dome.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, “We will not ignore such acts of aggression as Iran attempts to entrench itself militarily in Syria and given explicit statements by Iran that it intends to destroy Israel.”
“We are acting against Iran and against the Syrian forces that abet the Iranian aggression,” Netanyahu said. “Whoever tries to hurt us, we hurt them. Whoever threatens to destroy us will bear the full responsibility.”
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