Sadegh Omidzadeh
Sadegh Omidzadeh | |
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Died | Mezzeh, Damascus, Syria | 20 January 2024
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Rank | Brigadier general |
Battles/wars |
Sadegh Omidzadeh (Persian: صادق امیدزاده; died 20 January 2024), also known as Hojatollah Omidvar (Persian: حجت الله امیدوار),[1] was an Iranian general and head of the Quds Force intelligence unit in Syria.[2] He was killed by an Israeli airstrike during the Israel–Hamas war.[3][4]
Military career
On 14 August 2012, Omidzadeh, along with other Iranian officials, was captured by Syrian opposition groups in the vicinity of Damascus airport. Subsequently, he was released following mediation efforts by Qatar.[5] In June 2023, reports surfaced indicating that Omidzadeh was planning attacks on American forces in Syria. His specific focus involved targeting U.S. Humvee and Cougar armored vehicles within Syrian territory.[6][7]
Death
On 20 January 2024, Omidzadeh, along with four other Iranian officials, Ali Aghazadeh, Saeed Karimi, Hossein Mohammadi,[8] and Mohammad Amin Samadi,[9] was killed during a meeting at a building in the Mezzeh district of Damascus. The Israeli airstrikes, as reported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, resulted in the complete destruction of the building, leading to the death of at least 10 military personnel.[10]
His death occurred less than a month after Israel had assassinated another high-ranking Iranian general, Razi Mousavi, in Damascus,[11] and two weeks after the assassination of Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.[12]
References
- ^ "Who is Hojatollah Omidvar, Iran's deputy military intelligence chief killed by 'Israeli strike' in Damascus?". L'Orient-Le Jour. 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Iran Condemns Suspected Israeli Strike Killing 5 IRGC Officers". Iran International. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Aji, Alberte; Mroue, Bassem (20 January 2024). "An Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, officials say". The Washington Post. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Makieh, Kinda; Bassam, Laila (20 January 2024). "Israeli strike on Damascus kills four Iranian Revolutionary Guards". Reuters. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Who is Sadegh Omidzadeh, the senior intelligence officer of Iran who was assassinated by Israel?" (in Persian). rouydad24. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ Warrick, Joby; Hill, Evan (1 June 2023). "Iran plans to escalate attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, documents show". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 14 December 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Who was Sardar Haj Sadegh Omidzadeh who was martyred today? + Photo" (in Persian). arshehonline. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "شهادت ۴ مستشار نظامی ایران در حمله اسرائیل به دمشق + اسامی" [Martyrdom of 4 Iranian military advisers in Israel's attack on Damascus + names] (in Persian). Tasnim News Agency. 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Fifth Iran Revolutionary Guards member dies after strike in Syria attributed to Israel". The Times of Israel. 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Including 3 leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.. 10 killed in the Israeli targeting of a building in Damascus" (in Arabic). Syrian Observatory for Human Right. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "Israel assassinates the commander of the Quds Force intelligence in Syria and his deputy" (in Arabic). Saw Beirut. 20 January 2024. Archived from the original on 20 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ "نصرالله يطل في ذكرى سليماني فكيف سيرد على تهديدات إسرائيل وتطبيق القرار 1701؟" [Nasrallah appears at Soleimani's memorial. How will he respond to Israel's threats and the implementation of Resolution 1701?]. Al-Quds (in Arabic). 2 January 2024. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.