DAMASCUS – The Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s most powerful militaryforce have been fighting in support of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad forseveral years. More than 1,000 Iranians have been killed in Syria,including senior members of the Guards.

Iran calls its fighters in Syria the defenders of the shrine as it says theforces are there to protect the Zeinab Shrine, a holy site near Damascus.

Three Iranians were killed in an air strikelink> on a Syrian air baselink> near Homs on Sunday, Iran’s Farsnews agency said, as Syria and its main ally Russia blamed Israel forcarrying out the attack.

Israel has not confirmed or denied mounting the raid, but Israeli officialssaid the Tiyas, or T-4, air base link> wasbeing used by troops from Iran, and that Israel would not accept such apresence in Syria by its arch foe.

The semi-official Fars news said on Monday that “two defenders of theshrine, Seyed Ammar Mousavi and Akbar Zavar Jannati” were killed in the airstrike link> “carried out by the Zionistregime’s fighter jets.”

In a subsequent report, Fars said a third fighter called Mehdi Lotfi Niasarhas been killed in the attack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor, said atleast 14 people were killed including some fighters of variousnationalities.

The attack took place hours after US President Donald Trump warned of a“big price to pay” following the reports of a poison gas attack on therebel-held town of Douma which killed dozens of people, including children.- Agencies