Israeli Air Strike in Syria Kills Two, Sparks Escalation in Middle East Conflict

An Israeli air attack on an Iranian military base in Syria has left two people dead and several injured, according to Syrian and Iranian media. The attack took place on the outskirts of the Syrian capital and resulted in what some believed to be a rare acknowledgment by Damascus of Iranian casualties in strikes.A Syrian news agency blamed the "Zionist enemy," referring to Israel, for firing strikes from the Golan Heights into the Syrian capital.

A war monitor later stated that seven people in total were killed in the attack, but their figures have sometimes proved unreliable.Pro-government media in Iran reported there was an attack on Iranian targets in Damascus that resulted in two deaths and several injuries but did not provide further details. Israeli officials declined to comment on the explosions but have a history of airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria.

Sunday's attack comes after three U.S. troops were killed in a drone attack on a military outpost in Jordan, marking the first time American troops have been killed under fire since the Israel-Gaza war erupted in October. President Joe Biden said the U.S. would respond, with his political opponents urging military action against Iran. The deaths on Sunday came as an escalation in the Middle East conflict, with Israel striking Lebanon and the U.S. bombing Iraq and Yemen.