Death toll update | 22 militiamen of Iraqi Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces in the US strikes on Syria-Iraq border

ARK News... SOHR reported that a spike in the number of Iranian-backed militiamen killed in US airstrikes in the west Euphrates region. 22 militiamen of the Iraqi Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, most of the Iraqi Hezbollah, were killed in the US aerial attacks on their positions and a weapons shipment at the time when it was crossing from Iraq to Syria, via a military crossing near Al-Qa’em crossing in Al-Bukamal area in the eastern countryside of Deir Ez-Zour. The death toll is expected to rise further as the attack left several militiamen injured, some seriously. There are unconfirmed reports of more casualties.

It is worth noting that the attack, which took place at 01:00 am Syria time, destroyed three trucks carrying ammunition.

The observatory said that the Iranian forces and their proxy factions evacuated several posts and headquarters in Al-Bukamal immediately after the attack, where they were redeployed in other positions for fear of being subjected to successive attacks.

The observatory added that, on February 22, the Iranian-backed Afghani militia of “Liwaa Fatemiyoun” brought in a new weapons shipment to its positions in the west Euphrates region.

The observatory also added that the new shipment, which included shells, missiles, and ammunition, entered Syria exactly at 05:30 Syria time aboard vegetable trucks from Iraq, via an unofficial crossing. The trucks headed to Al-Mazare’ area on the outskirts of Al-Mayadeen in eastern Deir Ez- Zour, which hosts the largest gatherings of Iranian forces and their proxy militias.

SOHR sources also reported that the recently-arrived shipment was stored in tunnels dug previously by ISIS in Al-Mazare’ during its control of the area.

While on February 20, Reliable SOHR sources from the western banks of the Euphrates River in the eastern countryside of Deir Ez Zour said that a new shipment of weapons was brought in by Iranian forces and loyal militias to Syrian territory from Iraq.

A day earlier, three “vegetables and fruit” trucks were used as camouflage, were loaded with Iranian weapons and ammunition, which entered from an illegal crossing between Iraq and Syria near the village of Al-Abbas, which belongs to the al-Jala area in the countryside of Albu Kamal city, east of Deir Ez-Zour. Iran uses these illegal crossings to transport weapons and ammunition, and the shipment was unloaded in that area. No information has been reported as to whether the shipment was transported to other Iranian positions.

While on February 11, reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that an unidentified drone targeted that morning a car carrying a shipment of weapons coming from Iraq, near an illegal military crossing between Iraq and Syria. The crossing is used by militias to move between the two countries and to bring in reinforcement and shipments near the city of AlbuKamal in the eastern countryside of Deir Ez-Zour.

Meanwhile, violent explosions were heard in the area after the car loaded with ammunition and weapons was targeted, which resulted in the destruction of the shipment and the death of four militiamen.

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