Iranian General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a high-ranking commander of Tehran’s elite Quds Force, who previously commanded other branches of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, was killed during an Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital Damascus, Reuters writes, citing a source in the Syrian security forces.

The news comes as Iranian media reported on Monday that a building near the Iranian embassy in Damascus had collapsed following an Israeli airstrike on Monday. Although the information was carried by most media outlets in Tehran, it did not provide more details about the attack.

Earlier, the SNN agency reported that the residence of the Iranian ambassador and the Iranian consulate in Damascus were also hit.

Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that one building was severely damaged and other nearby buildings were also damaged, with the source saying the buildings were located in the Mezzeh district near Damascus.

Mohammad Reza Zahedi was one of the senior commanders of the Quds Force, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that specializes in asymmetric warfare and military intelligence. Reza Zahedi previously commanded the Air Force as well as the Ground Forces.

Tehran has not yet officially confirmed his death, but the Tansim news agency reported, citing unidentified sources, that 5 people were killed in the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which was allegedly completely destroyed after an airstrike on Monday.

The Al-Arabiya network, with reference to the Iranian mass media, reports that General Reza Zahedi was killed in an airstrike in Damascus.

“We do not comment on foreign media reports,” an Israeli military spokesman said late Monday when asked about it.

If his death is confirmed, Reza Zehadi would be the most important commander Iran has lost to a foreign airstrike since the January 2020 US killing of General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad airport.

At the time of his death, Suleimani was the commander of the Quds Force.

The news is updated.