Israel said Tuesday it had killed the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ all-volunteer Basij force, a key force used to suppress demonstrations in the Islamic Republic, as Gulf Arab nations came under renewed missile and drone fire Tuesday from Iran.

“The Basij forces are part of the armed apparatus of the Iranian terror regime,” the Israeli military said in its statement. “During internal protests in Iran, particularly in recent periods as demonstrations intensified, Basij forces under Soleimani’s command led the main repression operations, employing severe violence, widespread arrests and the use of force against civilian demonstrators.”

The U.S. Treasury lists Soleimani as having been born in 1965. He has been sanctioned by the U.S., the European Union and other nations over his role in helping suppress dissent for years through the Basij.

Moreover, the London-based opposition outlet Iran International reported that around 300 members of Iran’s paramilitary Basij force were killed in waves of overnight strikes across the country on Monday night.

According to the report, the strikes targeted a range of Basij command and logistical facilities. Among the sites hit was a location housing hundreds of vehicles used by Basij units for patrols and enforcement operations.