Contents tagged with Syria

  • Israel promises to strike S-300 missile systems in Syria in case of an attack on Israeli aircraft

    Israel will strike S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems, which are currently under consideration for delivery to Syria, if they are used against Israeli aircraft, as stated by Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor during an interview with the newspaper Kommersant.

    "If they are not directed against us, that’s one thing. If there is open fire on our aircraft from these S-300 complexes, we will certainly respond," he said while answering a question about Israel's reaction in the event that Russia …

  • Russian Su-30SM fighter crashes off Syrian coast

    A Russian Su-30SM fighter aircraft crashed after takeoff from Khmeimim airbase in Syria, as reported by Interfax with reference to the Russian Defense Ministry.  Both pilots were killed.

    The accident occurred on May 3 at 9:45 am over the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the plane was not shot down.  The Ministry alleged that a bird could have gotten into the aircraft engine.

    "According to preliminary information, the cause of the crash could be a bird hitting the …

  • State Department announces launch of new US operation against IS in Syria

    State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert published a tweet stating that the United States has begun an operation in Syria to liberate the last strongholds of the Islamic State group.

    According to the Nauert, the operation will be conducted by the United States-led coalition and "local partners", including the Syrian Democratic Forces. "The fighting will be difficult, but we and our partners will prevail," the statement said.

    Nauert stressed that the US intends to protect the borders of …

  • Syrian and pro-Iranian forces attack US-Led coalition near Deir ez-Zor

    The Syrian Army and Iran-sponsored militias attacked the positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the east bank of the Euphrates. The Syrian forces managed to take control of several villages located north-east of the city of Deir ez-Zor. The Syrian state agency SANA confirmed the information.

    Later, the SDF forces brought reinforcements from Conoco oil field. They mounted a counteroffensive and with the support of strikes by the US-led coalition aircraft regained control of the lost …

  • Turkey decides to work together with US in Syria

    Turkey will operate together with the United States in Syrian city of Manbij, as stated by the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlut Cavusoglu.

    The Foreign Minister also added that Ankara is considering a "lucrative offer" to purchase a Patriot system from the US.

    A day earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Turkey had agreed to cooperate with Italy and France on the purchase of air defense systems and had also discussed the possibility of acquiring similar …

  • UK and France refuse to attend Russian-initiated briefing at OPCW

    The Permanent Representative of Great Britain to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Peter Wilson said that the briefing initiated by Russia at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague on Thursday, April 26 was a “stunt.” The Russians claim that the event, which was attended by several residents of the Syrian city of the Douma, proves the absence of any chemical attacks in the vicinity of the city.

    The United Kingdom and its allies declined to attend this briefing. The …

  • Media: Russia supplied additional anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria

    The newspaper Kommersant reports, citing a military-diplomatic source, that Russia delivered additional shipments of Pantsir-class anti-aircraft missile (SAM) systems to the Syrian port of Tartus last week. At the same time, the source’s statement did not specify whether the Pantsir systems were sent for the use of Russian troops deployed at Syrian bases, or for the Syrian government army.

    The newspaper’s source also confirmed that there are no S-300 SAM systems in Syria.

    Pantsir-class SAMs, …

  • Pentagon denies Russian claims of downing US missiles during strike in Syria

    Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said on April 25 that images of buildings in Damascus destroyed by rocket attacks refute allegations by the Russian military that only 22 out of 105 missiles reached their intended target, RIA Novosti reports.

    "The statements by General Rudskoy that only 22 out of 105 of our missiles hit their targets can easily be refuted. We provided open access images of targets before and after strikes. With regard to Russian official statements about the insurmountable …

  • Israel prepared to destroy Russian S-300 missile systems in Syria

    Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman has commented on the possible delivery of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Syria.

    According to Lieberman, Israel’s only concern regarding the systems delivery is which targets the systems may be used against. The Minister stressed that Israel’s problem is not Russia, as Russian air defense systems have already been deployed in Syria and not used against Israel.

    “What's important to us is that the defensive weapons the Russians are giving Syria …

  • Russia claims it repulsed a drone attack on Syria Khmeimim airbase

    Anti-aircraft defenses at the Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Syria destroyed unknown small-sized air targets that were "far from the airfield", RIA Novosti reported, citing an airbase spokesperson.

    According to the airbase representative, the airborne threats were discovered on April 24 around twilight. "All of the targets were destroyed by the antiaircraft fire means of the Russian airbase," he said. No one was hurt on the base; the facility also suffered no material damage, and has returned “ …