Syria says Iran missile strikes on its territory were legitimate
Foreign minister says action, which reportedly killed eight, was part of cooperation between the two allies against terrorism
BEIRUT — The Syrian foreign minister said in remarks broadcast Tuesday that the Iranian ballistic missiles attack on militants in eastern Syria the previous day was part of “legitimate” cooperation between the two countries to combat terrorism.
Walid Muallem’s comments came during a wide-ranging interview with the Beirut-based Al-Mayadeen TV. The full interview was to air later in the day.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard launched six ballistic missiles as well as drone bombers into eastern Syria’s Deir el-Zour province on Monday, targeting Islamic State fighters it blamed for an attack on a military parade in Iran last month.
The strikes were the second time Iran had used cross-border missiles inside Syria. Last year, Iran also struck in militant positions in Deir el-Zour’s town of Mayadeen and following another attack, in Tehran, that was blamed on IS.
But Monday’s strikes come after Syrian government forces and allied Iranian-backed militias gained control of the strategic border town of Boukamal late last year, likely improving Iran’s intelligence and capabilities in the area.
The strikes were also seen as threat to Iran’s regional adversaries at a time when Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers is unraveling.
“The Iranian missiles are in the framework of combating terrorism,” said Muallem.
The Syrian government and its allies, as well as the US-led coalition are separately battling IS, which still controls a sliver of land along Syria’s border with Iraq.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria, said the strikes killed eight people in Hajin, a town still controlled by IS.
It was not clear if all the killed were militants, the Observatory said, adding that one of the missiles hit a house that had been seized by IS.
The US military’s Central Command acknowledged that Iranian forces conducted “no-notice strikes” in the area Monday and said it was assessing the damage. The coalition said no coalition forces were in danger.
