Russian Air Defence Systems Deployed in Syria Are Not Challenging Israeli Weapon Systems in Any Way, Says Israel Source

By Arie Egozi

Foreign Affairs

Tel Aviv: “Fairy Tales”, that was the Israeli non-official reaction to the Russian army claim that its air defence systems in Syria, shot down almost most of the Israeli weapon systems that were launched last week against Iranian related targets In Syria.

According to the Syrian media the strike killed four pro-Iranian fighters allied to the Damascus regime. Syrian state media earlier said that its air defence system engaged “hostile targets” over the capital Damascus late on Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Israeli missiles targeted “arms depots and military positions” belonging to Lebanese Shiite terror group Hezbollah, in the Qarah area in the northwest of Damascus province, near Homs province and the Lebanese border.

“Our air defense responded to the missiles and shot most of them down.” A Russian high ranking officer in Syria told the Russian media that Israeli fighter jets fired eight guided missiles on Monday, seven of which were intercepted by Russia’s Pantsyr-S and Buk-M2 systems, both self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft systems.

Israeli sources told Raksha Anirveda that the report is not based on facts as all the Israeli weapon systems hit their targets. The Israeli air force is using standoff weapon systems in its ongoing operation against Iranian related targets in Syria.

“The Russian air defence systems deployed in Syria are not challenging  those systems in any way,” one senior source said. According to earlier reports the Israeli air force is launching the weapon systems while flying over Lebanon.