At least 10 people have been killed Sunday night in an aerial assault by unidentified aircraft on a truck convoy transporting Iranian weapons in eastern Syria, an opposition war monitor reported on Monday.
Six refrigerated trucks carrying Iranian weapons came under fire mere minutes after crossing the border from Iraq near the Al-Bukamal region. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that all victims of this aerial assault were non-Syrians.
Activist Omar Abu Layla, head of the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, reported heavy damage to nearby structures as well.
SOHR chief Rami Abdel Rahman added that all the trucks were carrying Iranian-made weapons. He further confirmed that two similar convoys, carrying weapons to pro-Iranian militias operating in the area, completed their journey in the eastern Syrian town of al-Mayadeen unimpeded last week.
Iran has been actively supporting the Syrian regime in its incessant struggle to hold on to power amid a crushing civil war that has lasted for almost 11 years and has claimed more than 700,000 lives so far.
This is the latest strike in a series of deadly attacks in the region. In November, a convoy of vehicles transporting weapons and tank trucks loaded with fuel from pro-Iranian militias came under heavy fire in a raid that resulted in 14 people killed.
In a relatively rare occurrence, then-IDF chief of staff Aviv Kochavi had confirmed the Israeli Air Force was behind the raid, as they were targeting a weapons shipment bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon.
To this day, a U.S.-lead coalition has been carrying out aerial attacks against remnants of the Islamic State still active in the area.