Syrian air defence nearly hit passenger plane after Israeli attack
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The Russian Defence Ministry in Moscow claimed that the Israeli attack on Syria, which killed at least 23 pro-Iranian gunmen in the middle of Wednesday night, put a civilian flight at risk.
An Airbus A320 with 172 passengers on board made an emergency landing in Russia-controlled Khmeimim air base after Syrian air defence nearly hit it, Russian state news agency RIA said on Friday citing Russian defence ministry spokesman.
The Syrian air defence was trying to repulse an Israeli attack near Damascus, RIA added.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least three government Iranian positions near Damascus and west of the capital were targeted. Syria’s official SANA news agency said the Israeli strikes came in two waves and hit the al-Kiswah area as well as Marj al-Sultan and Jisr Baghdad.
According to the Russian statement, F-16 jets belonging to the Israeli Air Force (IAF) shot eight air-to-ground missiles without entering Syrian airspace. Moscow blamed Israel for using the civilian aircraft “as a shield against Syrian anti-aircraft systems.”
The Syrian defence ministry, however, claimed that Syrian air defences intercepted the Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets.
