A high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard general was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria, according to Tehran. General Rasi Mousavi was killed today in an attack by the “Zionist regime” in a southern suburb of the Syrian capital, Damascus, Iranian state news agency IRNA reported.
Although Israel initially made no comment, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi announced retaliation. Israel “will certainly pay for this crime,” Raisi said. The Revolutionary Guard also announced retaliation.
Apparently house destroyed by rockets
In Syria, Mousavi was one of the “most experienced advisors” to the Quds Brigades, the branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard responsible for foreign operations, IRNA reported.
Iran's ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, told Iranian news agency Mehr that Mousavi's house was hit by three rockets. “The building was destroyed,” said the diplomat. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Israeli attacks on positions in the area used by Iranian groups and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Hezbollah condemns killing of general
“We see this assassination as a brazen attack that crosses borders,” said Tehran-backed Hezbollah. Iran is also a close ally of the Palestinian radical Islamic organization Hamas.
There are repeated attacks between Israeli troops and Hezbollah. Since the start of the war against Hamas, Israel has intensified air strikes in Syria.