Syrian Airbase Attacked: Explosion Allegedly Caused By Israeli Warplanes
A Syrian airbase was allegedly attacked by Israel. Breaking news coming from Dam Press, a state run television station in Syria, claims that an explosion occurred near an airport at the Latakia airbase. The outlet reportedly considered loyal to Bashar Assad also stated that no injuries resulted from the explosion in Syria. A Damascus target was also hit, according to The Times of Israel. Both locations allegedly contained arms destined for Hezbollah.
The Israeli Times also maintains that an official from the Obama administration confirmed to CNN that an Israeli warplane was responsible for the attacked. According to Al-Arabiya there were Russian missiles at the Syrian airbase. Both the airport and the Damascus location allegedly contained Russian SA-8 anti-aircraft missiles.
An online map of the Latakia airbase reportedly shows three separate batteries of Russian missiles. The photos posted on the internet were taken in the coastal region. A source quoted by Al-Arabiya claimed that the Syrian base held S-125 missile which have an approximate range of nine miles. The Russian missiles were reportedly a favorite of the Iraqis during the first Gulf War and the Egyptians during the Yom Kipper War. A news agency run by the Lebanese government reported that six Israeli aircraft were spotted flying through the country’s airspace near Beirut along the northern coast.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted hearing a large explosion near the Syrian Army base late Wednesday, Yahoo Finance reports. The Latakia airbase attack is believed to have been the result of a strike from the Mediterranean Sea.
The Latakia airbase area is an Alawite stronghold, according to the Jerusalem Post. A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Ministry stated the department is not commenting on the Syrian airbase explosion reports, when asked for confirmation about the warplanes. The official also noted that the Israeli government does not “refer to foreign reports.” One unidentified Israeli official told the news organization that he does believe his nation carried out the attack at the Latakia airbase. Israel has long warned that the country will use force to keep “advanced weapons” from reaching Iran, if necessary.
The Syrian airbase strike reportedly took out SA-8 anti-aircraft missiles. The SA-8 system is an extremely mobile and truck-mounted system, but it functions with low-altitude and short range capabilities.
An alleged eyewitness had this to say about the Latakia airbase strike when speaking with the Al-Mustaqbal media outlet:
“During the night, we noticed much aircraft activity. At a certain point, we were woken up by the sound of blasts and we saw a large fire and many explosions at the agricultural institute. Military and security forces arrived at the scene, put out the flames, and closed off the entire area for kilometers.”
Check back with The Inquisitr for more information about this breaking news story as details become available.
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