In the latest sign of an escalating proxy war between Iran and Israel, airstrikes killed at least 18 members of Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria Sunday night. One source put the death toll at 21, and the number of wounded at 36. The attacks have so far not been claimed, but an Iraqi militia that operates in Syria and is funded by Iran blamed them on Israel.
Tensions in the Middle East surged two weeks ago with Israel carrying out attacks on Iranian allied groups in Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinian-administered Gaza Strip and Iraq. Iran has recently taken various steps in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal while a recent New York Times report claims that Israel is considering to launch a unilateral strike on Iran in order to derail the country’s nuclear program.
Read more: Activists: Airstrikes on Iran-backed groups in Syria kill 18
