Were Hezbollah members really killed in an ‘accident’ in Syria? - analysis
A report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that several members of the Lebanese Hezbollah had been killed in Syria.
Earlier this week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said Hezbollah members in Syria were killed in a “land mine” accident, a claim that pro-Iranian media has rejected.
The report by the UK-based organization said several members of Hezbollah had been killed and that local leaders were among the dead.
According to SOHR, three Hezbollah members were killed, including a commander, on Monday after a land mine exploded while they were in their car, carrying out a military mission in the area between Al-Kom village and Al-Sukhnah city in the eastern Homs countryside.
This area is a desert area between Palmyra and Deir Ezzor, the latter of which is known to be occupied by pro-Iranian groups that operate along the Euphrates River. In addition, the area around T-4 base is known to be linked to Iran.
The report initially claimed that three members of a pro-Iranian militia were killed in the explosion on the road to Al-Kom village.
Pro-Iranian groups use these areas to operate and target US forces on the other side of the Euphrates River. The US and Iran have recently seen increased tensions in Syria after pro-Iranian groups fired rockets at US forces in eastern Syria, killing a contractor and wounding other personnel.
The US carried out retaliatory airstrikes. While it was unclear from the report, the insinuation was that a member of Hezbollah might have been harmed in the airstrikes. However, there are differences in the Arabic and English reports on this issue.
What is particularly interesting is that Al-Mayadeen media published a report on Wednesday, denying the SOHR report and slamming the organization, claiming the report was “false and misleading.”
Al-Mayadeen is considered sympathetic to Iran and Hezbollah. Its report said there “are no martyrs from Hezbollah during the recent period in Syria.”
Disputed reports
According to this Arabic report, “Reliable sources confirmed to Al-Mayadeen that there is no truth to the news about the ‘recent martyrdom of Hezbollah fighters in Syria.’”
Al-Mayadeen’s unnamed source said the Syrian opposition is spreading “fabrications and misinformation.” The report then slammed Israel and the US for “aggression” in Syria.
Other reports on social media have claimed that two Hezbollah members were killed in Syria, adding that they were from the villages of Arab Salim and Jebchit in Lebanon, two towns in the hills west of Marjayoun. Jebchit has been connected to Hezbollah in the past, including for funerals for Hezbollah fallen and a shooting attack on a Hezbollah commander in 2020.
Hezbollah continues to operate heavily in Syria, and as many as 2,000 members of the terrorist group might be there, Al-Arabiya reported earlier in March. It also helped train and recruit local pro-Iranian militias, the report said.
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