Iran confirms general killed in Israeli airstrike

TEHRAN, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Iranian Gen. Mohammad Ali Allah-Dadi was killed in Sunday's air strike within Syria allegedly conducted by Israel, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.

The Iranian general was advising factions that support President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

Sepahnews, the official website of the Revolutionary Guard, said the general was "martyred while defending the shrines and innocent people of Syria."

Hezbollah, a political and military organization that supports President al-Assad, said six Hezbollah fighters and six Iranian soldiers were killed in the air strike.

Jihad Mughniyeh, 20, and Mohamad Issa, chief of Hezbollah operations in Syria, were killed in the attack.

Mughniyeh was the son of a Hezbollah military leader who was killed in 2008. Unnamed sources said an Israeli helicopter that launched the attack on targets who were "terrorists who intended to attack Israel," Ynet news reported.

Hezbollah recently warned Israel the group may retaliate for Israel's repeated air strikes in Syria.

Israel claims its air strikes prevent Syrian and Iranian weapons from reaching Hezbollah.