BEIRUT – Israeli missile strikes on Syria killed at least six Iran-backed fighters Friday, a war monitor said.

The dead were all foreign paramilitaries fighting alongside President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

The missiles, which were fired from Lebanese airspace, hit positions held by Iran-backed militias in the Masyaf district of Hama province, Observatory chief Rami Abdul Rahman said.

One also targeted a government-run research center, where surface-to-surface missiles are developed and stored, the Britain-based watchdog said.

Iranian experts are believed to work in the research center.