Damascus, Dec 14 (IANS): At least 36 people have been killed in heightened Israel attacks on Syrian military sites affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, a war monitor said in a report.

The victims comprise 14 Syrian soldiers, 17 Hezbollah militants, two Iranian revolutionary guards, two civilians, and a pro-government fighter, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

During the period, Israel attacked Syria 33 times, destroying 48 targets including weapon depots and vehicles, according to the Observatory.

The Aleppo International Airport witnessed four bombings that left it unusable, and Damascus International Airport experienced two strikes that caused its operations to be temporarily suspended.

The intense attacks since early October have brought the total number of Israeli strikes on Syria since the beginning of 2023 to 66 times, including 45 aerial strikes and 21 ground assaults, resulting in about 130 targets being hit and destroyed, according to the Observatory.

These strikes have killed 114 military personnel and injured 130 others in Syria, it added.

In tandem with the escalation in the Israeli strikes, pro-Iran militias intensified their attacks on the US military bases in eastern Syria, said the Observatory, adding that these attacks were in retaliation for Washingtonsupport to Israel in its offensive in Gaza.

In reaction to the pro-Iranian militias' increasing attacks, US military bases in Syria have conducted military exercises and reinforced its troops, it noted.