Explosions heard near Syria-Iraq border. Arab media report they were the result of an attack on Iranian-affiliated Iraqi militias.
Explosions were heard overnight Sunday near the Syrian city of Al Bukamal, located near the border with Iraq, Al Arabiya reported.
According to the report, this is an area where Iranian-affiliated Iraqi militias are located, and the explosions may have targeted them. It was also reported that several soldiers were killed.
Word of the explosions comes days after reports indicated that Iran is constructing a large military base meant to house thousands of troops in Syria.
The base, which has been called the Imam Ali compound, is being constructed by the Iranian Quds forces, multiple intelligence sources told Fox News.
Satellite imagery of the site obtained by Fox News showed five buildings which could be used to store precision missiles. Construction on the new base is expected to be completed in the coming months.
There have been several attacks against Iraqi militias in recent weeks that have been attributed to Israel.
In late August, two senior American officials told The New York Times that Israel had carried out several air strikes in recent days on munitions storehouses for Iranian-backed groups in Iraq.
A senior Middle Eastern intelligence official told the newspaper that Israel had bombed a base north of Baghdad on July 19.
The attack on July 19 struck a base that the Middle Eastern intelligence official said was being used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to transfer weapons to Syria.
