At least 14 civilians have been wounded in explosions caused by a series of Israeli air strikes in countryside near Hama in Syria, a war monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday that the strikes were aimed at rocket depots of Iran-affiliated militias in the Masyaf area.
The watchdog, based in the UK, said it had information about casualties among the guards at the depots.
Syria's state news agency Sana reported that two civilians were wounded in Israeli air strikes on the western Hama and Tartus regions.
The strikes also caused several fires but the agency said most of the missiles had been intercepted.
The observatory said on Thursday the strikes, aimed at Iranian-aligned militia, caused "several casualties".
"Israeli strikes targeted positions and depots of arms and ammunition of Iran-affiliated militias," said the monitor, which has a network of sources in Syria, AFP reported.
It also reported several heavy explosions that sparked fires and resulted in "several victims". A Syrian air force officer was also reported missing, it said.
There was no immediate response from Israel.
Since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes against its neighbour.
While Israel rarely acknowledges or discusses such operations, it has acknowledged that it targets bases of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s allies, including Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group and other Iran-backed militias, AP reported.
In the strategic Deir Ezzor province in eastern Syria, the US military and Iran-backed militias have over the past two days exchanged attacks in a significant escalation of hostilities.
Iran denies sending troops to Syria but says its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has "military advisers" with Syrian government forces.
The latest air strikes come as parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal build momentum towards bringing back the agreement.
The conflict in Syria started with the repression of peaceful protests, then escalated, drawing in foreign powers and global extremists.
The war has killed nearly half a million people and forced about half of the country's prewar population from their homes.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
The Details
Article 15
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The biog
From: Upper Egypt
Age: 78
Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila
Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace
Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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Rating: 4/5
