Eleven Iranians among dead in Israel strikes on Syria

"At least 27 pro-regime fighters were killed," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Observatory. 

He said "six Syrian soldiers and 21 foreign fighters, including 11 Iranians" were among the dead.

Abdel Rahman's Saturday remarks update the monitor's initial toll of 23, which did not specify the number of Iranians. 

"The new report is due to the death of wounded or missing persons whose deaths have been confirmed," Abdel Rahman said.

Israel says it struck about 50 Iranian targets inside Syria early on Thursday in response to a salvo of rockets allegedly fired by Iranian forces into the Golan Heights. 

The rockets were reportedly launched after Israel struck the town of Baath in Quneitra province. Iran then fired around 20 rockets from Syria in response, targeting Israeli forces. 

The Jewish state has long warned about Iran's growing presence and influence in neighbouring Syria, where it backs President Bashar al-Assad. But the strikes also fell one day after US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Iran nuclear deal, a move experts say might embolden Israel for further military escalations.

Israeli forces have carried out a string of recent attacks that have left Iranians dead, though it has not commented on those raids. 

Israel has also conducted dozens of operations targeting arms deliveries that it says are aimed against its arch-rival the Lebanese Hizballah, which also backs the Assad regime.

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