Commanders of pro-Iran militias in the area of Deir ez-Zur in north-east Syria, have left their bases fearing an Israeli strike, the UK based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group, said on Tuesday. The Observatory said the senior commanders and administrators of all the bases and command centers of the militias have given themselves a week off and have left the area.
The province of Deir ez-Zur has come under repeated attacks attributed to Israel and is used to transfer weapons from Iran via Iraq, to pro-Iran forces in Syria and Lebanon.
The Qatari owned Al Araby Al Jadeed newspaper reported quoting local Syrian sources on Monday that pro-Iran militia groups in Syria were on high alert and that bases in Deir ez-Zur, Al Mayadin and Al Bukamal, all major cities near the Syrian border with Iraq, have been vacated in anticipation of a extensive strikes by Israel.