"Israeli Airstrikes Rock Aleppo: Unacknowledged Assault Leaves Dozens Dead, Sparks Escalating Tensions"

The Syrian Defence Ministry has accused Israel of launching a series of airstrikes near Aleppo on Friday morning, with strikes killing approximately 40 people, as reported by RT.

According to the Syrian Defence Ministry's statement, the airstrikes commenced around 1:45 am from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo, targeting various points in the Aleppo countryside. While the ministry did not provide an exact count of casualties or damages, it confirmed that both civilians and military personnel were among the dead and wounded.

Reuters reported a death toll of 38, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) suggested 43 deaths. The SOHR claimed that the strikes specifically targeted concentrations of Syrian soldiers, Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters, and a weapons depot near Aleppo International Airport.

Israel has remained silent regarding the attack, consistent with its typical approach of not acknowledging operations in Syrian airspace. However, later on Friday, Israel did claim responsibility for the extraterritorial killing of Hezbollah deputy missile commander Ali Abed Akhsan Naim in southern Lebanon's Bazouriye region, as confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) through a video posted on social media showing a missile striking a car allegedly carrying Naim.

The IDF's video demonstration of the strike marked a departure from Israel's usual silence on such matters. The ongoing tensions between Hezbollah militants and Israeli forces have resulted in recurring missile and rocket exchanges since Israel's war on Gaza in October.

Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, previously stated that these attacks aim to tie up Israeli forces near the Lebanese border and sow fear among the enemy's political and military leadership. Similarly, Shia militia groups in Syria have adopted similar tactics, albeit on a smaller scale.

In recent days, the frequency and intensity of cross-border attacks have escalated, with Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killing 16 individuals, including seven paramedics, on Wednesday. These strikes were in retaliation for a Hezbollah rocket barrage into Israel that resulted in one fatality.

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