Syria: Drone strike kills ten Hezbollah militants October 2

Event

A drone strike reportedly killed ten Hezbollah fighters and injured at least 22 others who were fighting alongside Syrian government forces against the Islamic State (IS) on Monday, October 2. The strike occurred near al-Sukhnah in Homs province. It is unclear who was responsible for the strike. US military officials stated that the strike occurred outside of the US-led anti-IS coalition's area of operations.

Context

Syria is enmeshed in a complex civil war that started between the Assad government and opposition forces in March 2011. Today, the conflict in Syria involves many parties, including the Syrian government, the Russian government, the Iranian government, the Turkish government, a United States-led coalition, and numerous armed groups on the ground (including the Islamic State) with competing goals.

Advice

Due to extremely poor security conditions, Western governments generally advise against all travel to Syria, with some banning travel to the country. Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to any travel to Syria.​