Syrian and Russian air forces conduct joint drill near Golan Heights

Author: Published: June 10, 2022

Two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing ‘hostile’ warplanes and drones

A Tupolev TU-22M3 Backfire strategic bomber, left, and an SU-35 multirole supermanoeuvrable fighter during exercises by Russia forces in February, 2022. AFP

A Tupolev TU-22M3 Backfire strategic bomber, left, and an SU-35 multirole supermanoeuvrable fighter during exercises by Russia forces in February, 2022. AFP

The National

Syria’s Defence Ministry on Tuesday released footage of its air force conducting a joint drill with Russia, the first since that country’s invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago.

The ministry said two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing “hostile” warplanes and drones. Syrian pilots dealt with them with cover and support from the Russian warplanes, it said.

“All elusive targets were monitored and completely destroyed while aerial targets were hit at night for the first time,” according to a Syrian Defence Ministry statement.

It also released a video of the warplanes that it said took part in the drill.

The announcement came hours after Syrian state television reported that Israeli missiles targeted Syrian army positions south of the capital, Damascus, causing material damage but no casualties.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official who said that Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while flying over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before midnight on Monday. It said that Syrian air defences shot down most of the missiles.

There was no comment from Israel about the strike.

Smoke billows following an Israeli airstrike targeting south of the capital Damascus, on July 20, 2020. Israeli strikes south of the Syrian capital wounded seven Syrian soldiers, state media reported, in an attack which a war monitor said hit several positions of regime forces and Iran-backed militias. / AFP / STR

Smoke from an Israeli air strike south of Damascus in July, 2020. AFP

According to Syrian state media, Israeli missiles struck central Syria on May 13, killing five people, including a civilian, and igniting fires on farmland in the area.

Russia became involved militarily in Syria in September 2015, helping to tip the balance of power in favour of President Bashar Assad’s forces in the now 11-year conflict in which half a million people have been killed.

In Tuesday’s exercise, the Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out joint patrols along the Golan Heights and other parts of southern Syria.

The last such joint drill was conducted a week before Russia began its invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In mid-February, the Russian military sent long-range nuclear-capable bombers and fighter jets carrying state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles to Syria for naval drills in the Mediterranean Sea.

Updated: June 8th 2022, 1:37 PM

Israeli airstrikes in Syria injure one, missiles shot down – Syrian reports

Author: Published: June 10, 2022
By

David Israel

 –

The official Syrian state news agency NASA reported Friday morning that “Syrian army air defenses confronted an Israeli-missiles aggression that targeted several posts south of Damascus, downed most them.”

SANA cited a military source saying “the Israeli enemy launched at 4:20 AM on Friday an aerial aggression from the occupied Syria Golan’s airspace, targeting some post south of Damascus.” The source added that “the army air defenses confronted the aggression and shot down most of the missiles. The aggression left one civilian injured, as well as material damage.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that “in the 14th Israeli attack in Syrian territory, air strikes targeted military sites of the regime forces and the Lebanese Hezbollah south of Damascus.”

This is a second attack attributed to Israel this week in the same area. On Monday night, the Syrian army reported that the Israeli Air Force had launched attacks from the Golan Heights on several targets in southern Damascus.

Israeli airstrikes in Syria injure one, missiles shot down – Syrian reports

Author: Published: June 10, 2022

In the third alleged Israeli airstrike this week, sites south of Damascus were targeted and one person was injured, according to Syrian reports.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF Published: JUNE 10, 2022 05:36

Missile fire is seen over Damascus, Syria January 21, 2019. (photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
Missile fire is seen over Damascus, Syria January 21, 2019. (photo credit: SANA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

 

Israeli airstrikes targeted sites south of Damascus, injuring one, at around 4 a.m. early Friday morning, Syrian state media SANA reported.

According to the report, Syrian air defense systems shot most of the missiles down and some material damage was sustained.

Israeli sources have not commented on the report.

A repeating pattern
This is the third alleged airstrike this week.

A WORKER fixes damage to a building from an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on November 20, 2019. Israel said it struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire the prior day in the Golan Heights. (credit: REUTERS/OMAR SANADIKI)
A WORKER fixes damage to a building from an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on November 20, 2019. Israel said it struck dozens of Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire the prior day in the Golan Heights. (credit: REUTERS/OMAR SANADIKI)
On Monday night, an alleged Israeli airstrike targeted sites south of Damascus.

The Syrian Capital Voice site reported on Tuesday morning that the strike had targeted a factory for developing Iranian weapons in the town of Aqraba, south of Damascus.

On Tuesday night, Syrian reports alleged that Israeli tanks targeted positions belonging to the Syrian military near El Malgah in the Quneitra region of southwestern Syria.

After the alleged tank strike, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets warning that Israel would not tolerate any presence of the Syrian military in the demilitarized zone, according to the opposition-affiliated Radio Houran.

The last alleged Israeli strike in Quneitra was reported in May, when one strike targeted the Qurs al-Nafl site and another strike targeted sites in Jubata Al Khashab and az-Zuhur, areas where both the Syrian military and Hezbollah operate.

The background
These attacks come on the backdrop of growing tensions with Hezbollah and Iran in Syria, and the weight of the pressure landing on Iran from Western leaders, chiefly the IAEA resolution to censure Iran for nuclear violations.

In the US, bipartisan support for increasing awareness and an active approach towards Iran’s nuclear developments is growing. On Thursday, members of the Abraham Accords Caucus in the House and Senate introduced on Thursday a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would “unite Middle East partners as global threats from Iran and Iranian backed-extremists continue to rise.”

Israel, whose longtime and consistent policy was that Iran’s alleged nuclear development requires a harsher approach, wrapped up two weeks ago its largest training exercise in Israeli history, dubbed “Chariots of Fire.” It included simulating striking targets far from Israel’s borders, including Iran.

Tzvi Joffre, Anna Ahronheim and Omri Nahmias contributed to this report.

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