Syria Says Israeli Strikes Hit near Airport West of Capital
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syria on Friday accused Israel of firing rockets that hit near a major military airport west of Damascus, triggering a fire, and warned Tel Aviv of repercussions without specifying whether it would retaliate for the attack, the third such incident recently according to the Syrian government.
In a statement carried on the official news agency SANA, the military said several missiles were launched just after midnight from an area near Lake Tiberias that fell in the vicinity of the Mezzeh military airport on the western edge of the capital. It did not say whether there were any casualties.
Residents of Damascus reported hearing several explosions that shook the capital. The Mezzeh airport compound located on the southwestern edge of the capital had been used to launch attacks on rebel-held areas near Damascus and has come previously under rebel fire.
The Syrian army statement said Israel through its attacks was assisting "terrorist groups" fighting the Syrian government.
"The Syrian army command and armed forces warn the Israeli enemy of the repercussions of this blatant attack and stresses it will continue its war on terrorism," the army statement said.
It was the third such Israeli strike into Syria recently, according to the Syrian government.
On Dec. 7, the Syrian government reported Israel fired surface-to-surface missiles that also struck near Mezzeh airport. A week earlier, SANA said Israeli jets fired two missiles from Lebanese airspace toward the outskirts of Damascus, in the Sabboura area.
The Israeli military has declined to comment on those incidents, and there was no immediate comment on Friday's reported attack.
But Israel is widely believed to have carried out a number of airstrikes in Syria in the past few years that have targeted advanced weapons systems, including Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles and Iranian-made missiles, as well as positions of the Lebanese Hezbollah group in Syria.
The Shiite group has sent thousands of its fighters to Syria to support President Bashar Assad's forces in the country's civil war, now in its sixth year.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently reiterated his government's position to not get involved in the Syrian war.
13 January 2017, 08:31
27
"Syria on Friday warned Tel Aviv of repercussions without specifying whether it would retaliate for the attack."
lol
13 January 2017, 09:24
310
hezbollah is a legitimate target. It is a terrorist iranian organization. Bombing them is justified as your president assad said the other day.
13 January 2017, 09:42
28
"The Syrian army command and armed forces warn the Israeli enemy of the repercussions of this blatant attack and stresses it will continue its war on terrorism," the army statement said.
and Israel is shaking in its boots right now. Assad had to call in every shia the world, Iran, and finally Russia to be able to stand up against a bunch of unorganized, undermanned, and ill armed rebels.
13 January 2017, 09:53
28
I thought I would be tierd of hearing the coward from tartus threatening israhell but this is acctually funny.
When will the shit of hezbstakhfarallah see this hypocritical leader who speak of resistance without doing anything
13 January 2017, 13:12
72
"Syria and Israel are secret allies!" All the while Israels bombs the Syrian government and treats Salafist fighters in their hospitals...
13 January 2017, 14:40
92
hahahaha no bouffonnerie is too far-fetched for you eh? so in your deluded perception bombing syria's military positions dozens of times is counterbalanced by publishing an embarassing video?
not to mention that when they filmed it, they presented it as "saving innocent civilians persecuted by evil syrian army". they were trying to score sympathy points while demonizing the SAA.
13 January 2017, 15:52
72
Loooool. Israel is helping Assad by patching up Salafists that fight him? LOOOOOOOOL.
13 January 2017, 17:51
72
Israel released the video to gain sympathy from the Gulf countries who have Iran as a common enemy. Hell, Israeli officials even meet regularly with Gulf officials, not to mention Turkish. So it is pretty obvious where the actual alliance is. Unless Assad is somehow allied with the Gulfers as well...
13 January 2017, 19:21
70
yea anonyme, israelis heal takfiri terrorists and they also arm and equip them, sent special forces to train them in jordan, and help them with coordinated air strikes only to provide the syrian govt with talking points. when moronism reaches theses levels, there is no debate possible.
13 January 2017, 14:38
62
Of ur meds again Texy...Tyring to conjure up ways with what few brain cells u have left on how Syria, HA, Israel are in a "secret takiah partnership" lmaooo tell us more. MORE POPCORN BLZZZZ
13 January 2017, 14:46
61
is it even possible to be more childish and more ignorant than that? this is not how things happen, there are threshholds in relations between countries, it's not all black or all white. israelis know they can get away with a few strikes now and then, because the syrian army is under too much pressure from rebel/terror groups to want to open another major front like this.
but if push it too far and make it clear you are intent on destroying syria, then the syrian army will have nothing to lose and launch all their missiles towards israel. the iron dome could stop 1000, or 10,000, or 50,000, but not the several hundred thousands that syria has. not to mention iran who has a mutual defense pact with syria.
instead of risking that, israel is happily sitting in the corner while takfiris do the work for them
13 January 2017, 14:48
61
not to mention that israelis dont care so much about making the rebels "win", the ideal scenario for them is to destroy syria and neutralize it for generations to come. exactly like the US did in iraq, also on israel's request.
13 January 2017, 14:48
71
not to mention that israelis dont care so much about making the rebels "win", the ideal scenario for them is to destroy syria and neutralize it for generations to come. exactly like the US did in iraq, also on israel's request.
13 January 2017, 15:14
62
More Takiya lies by Mowaten! Logic has no place here this is Nahar!
13 January 2017, 20:27
40
Syria should have Egypt submit before Jan 20th a resolution to the UNSC that (1) condemns this attack by Israel and (2) condemns the treatment by Israel in its hospitals of wounded Sunnis. The US will abstain adn the resolution will surely pass.
