Israel raids on Syria claim 15 soldiers

Damascus: Israeli raids on Syrian targets at the weekend killed at least 15 soldiers, a watchdog said Monday, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon led calls for restraint to prevent the war spilling over borders.

UN human rights investigator Carla del Ponte, meanwhile, said that rebels have used the deadly nerve agent sarin in their fight to oust Syria’s regime.

“At least 15 soldiers were killed, and dozens more are missing” after the Israeli strikes near Damascus, said Rami Abdul Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“These three sites [targeted] would usually have around 150 soldiers in them, but it’s not clear if they were all there at the time of the strikes.”