An Israeli attack in Damascus has killed two generals and five officers, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say

According to Iran’s Arabic-language state television Al-Alam, the Iranian consulate building was completely destroyed by the airstrike. The Syrian Ministry of Defense, quoted by AFP, said that all persons who were there at the time were killed or injured.

Iran’s SSN news portal, according to Reuters, wrote that “Israel struck the Iranian consulate and ambassador’s residence.” The strike was reportedly carried out by Israeli aircraft.

According to the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, Iran reserves the right to take “reciprocal action” in response to an Israeli attack. “Tehran will decide on the type of response and punishment against the aggressor,” the ministry said.

In an evening statement, the Revolutionary Guards confirmed earlier reports by Reuters and Iranian media that one of the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, Mohammad Reza Zahadi, was killed in the attack. According to the media, he commanded the Iranian Quds Force in Syria and Lebanon since 2016, which supports Tehran’s network of allies abroad.

The statement mentions Mohammad Rahimi as the second of the Revolutionary Guard generals killed in Damascus today.

Israel refused to comment on the incident. “We do not comment on foreign media reports,” said a spokesman for the Israeli army.

Reuters reporters at the scene saw smoke rising from the wreckage of the building, which they said had been leveled, and emergency vehicles.

The Iranian embassy in Lebanon strongly condemned the attack. “This barbaric Israeli aggression is a flagrant violation of international law, diplomatic norms and the requirements of the Vienna Convention,” the embassy said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israel in Syria has long been attacking targets associated with Iran or Tehran, supported by the Lebanese Hezbollah movement. The attacks have intensified since last October, when the Palestinian terrorist movement Hamas launched an attack on Israel.

Targets near Damascus were also targeted by airstrikes on Sunday. On Friday, airstrikes in northwest Syria killed more than 50 people, including Syrian soldiers and members of Hezbollah, according to SOHR.