36 killed in Israeli attack on Syria’s Palmyra city

DAMASCUS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) — At least 36 people were killed and more than 50 others wounded by an Israeli missile attack that hit sites in and around the city of Palmyra in central Syria on Wednesday, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.
“Around 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression from the direction of the al-Tanf area, targeting a number of buildings in the city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert, which led to the martyrdom of 36 people and the injury of more than 50 others, and caused significant material damage to the targeted buildings and the surrounding area,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported earlier that the fatalities included four non-Syrian fighters loyal to Iran and seven Syrian nationals. The attack also injured dozens, including at least seven civilians, one of whom is in critical condition.
According to the Observatory, Israeli aircraft targeted three separate sites in Palmyra, including two locations in the al-Jami’ah neighborhood. One of the targets was a weapons warehouse near the industrial area, which is inhabited by families of Iran-backed fighters of Iraqi and other foreign nationalities. A third site nearby was also struck.
Photos circulating on social media show plumes of smoke rising from Palmyra, near its archaeological sites.
The Observatory added that Israeli warplanes flew over the southern province of Daraa before firing at Palmyra.
Palmyra, located in the eastern countryside of Homs province, comprises a residential area and an archaeological site dating back to the Neolithic period.
Since the beginning of 2024, Israel has launched 152 attacks on Syrian sites, destroying 272 targets such as weapon depots, command centers, and military vehicles, and killing 303 soldiers and pro-government fighters as well as 62 civilians, according to the Observatory. ■