At least 60 people, including 20 children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a 14-story building in a residential complex in the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday morning, reported Xinhua, quoting state-run IRIB TV on Saturday.
The residential complex, named Martyr Chamran, is located northeast of Tehran, and was among the places hit by Israel in its airstrikes on different parts of the capital and other Iranian cities, the report said.
According to IRIB TV, as the debris removal operations continue, some 38 people have been pulled out of the rubble.
It added of those still beneath the rubble, 10 were children, including infants under nine months old.
Israel early Friday launched airstrikes on Tehran and other cities across Iran.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami, Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, and Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division Amir Ali Hajizadeh were killed in the airstrikes.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in Iran's East Azerbaijan province have killed 30 military personnel and one rescue worker, the province's Governor, Bahram Sarmast, announced on Saturday, reported Xinhua.
The attacks, which began in the early hours of Friday, have also wounded 55 people across 19 different locations, according to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
Among the sites hit was Tabriz Airport, a key logistics and transport hub in the provincial capital. Video footage from the scene showed thick black smoke billowing into the sky. Iranian media reported additional damage to the nearby Shahid Fakouri military airbase and parts of the adjacent railway network.
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, Israel launched a series of coordinated airstrikes targeting strategic locations across the country, including in the capital, Tehran. Iranian state media has confirmed the deaths of several high-ranking military commanders and prominent nuclear scientists in these attacks.
In response to the Israeli offensive, Iran has launched barrages of ballistic missiles at military targets inside Israel since Friday night, further intensifying the conflict.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday that it had killed nine senior Iranian nuclear scientists and experts, reported Xinhua.
The statement said the nine were struck by Israeli fighter jets, guided by the IDF's Intelligence Directorate, at the beginning of the Israeli operation in Iran early Friday morning.
The scientists served as significant "knowledge centers" in the Iranian nuclear project and possessed decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear weapons, it added, noting that among them were experts in nuclear engineering, physics, chemical engineering, materials engineering, and mechanics.
The Israeli military stated that one of its targets in launching airstrikes against Iran was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms, but Iran has repeatedly denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Israel early Friday launched airstrikes on Tehran and other cities across Iran.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri, Chief Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami, Gholam-Ali Rashid, commander of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, and Commander of the IRGC's Aerospace Division Amir Ali Hajizadeh were killed in the airstrikes.
In retaliation for the Israeli strikes, late Friday, the IRGC announced that it launched a military operation against "tens of" targets, military centers, and aerial bases in Israel.
Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike struck an ambulance in Iran's West Azerbaijan province, killing two people, Iranian media reported on Saturday.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency said the vehicle was "deliberately targeted" while carrying out humanitarian operations. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Separately, Iranian authorities said 16 people were arrested in the central province of Isfahan on charges of supporting Israel and spreading propaganda, Tasnim reported.
The detainees were accused of actions including "disrupting public opinion in cyberspace" and engaging in activities deemed supportive of Israel. Under Iranian law, collaboration with Israeli entities is a criminal offense and carries severe penalties.
The reported incidents come amid a surge in hostilities following Israeli airstrikes launched early Friday that hit targets across Iran, including in the capital Tehran. Iranian state media said several senior military officials and nuclear scientists were killed in the attacks.
In retaliation, Iran has fired multiple ballistic missiles at Israeli military positions since Friday night, with cross-border exchanges continuing into Saturday.
- Israeli
- Attacks
- Iran
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
