Illustrative image.
Syrian air defense shot down several cruise missiles and guided bombs while repelling the September 17 Israeli aerial attack on the capital, Damascus, Major General Oleg Yegorov, deputy head of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, revealed.
The attack targeted Damascus international Airport and several other positions to the south of the capital, including an alleged office of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Between 00:45 and 00:55 A.M. on September 17, four F-16 tactical fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force launched four cruise missiles and ten guided bombs from Golan at Damascus. Syrian air defense forces on duty shot down two missiles and six guided bombs using Russian-made Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E air defense systems,” said Maj. Gen. Yegorov.
The Pantsir-S1 is a short-range air-defense system that is specialized in point defense, while the Buk-M2E was developed to engage targets at a longer range and higher altitudes.
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The Israeli attack didn’t effect operations at Damascus International Airport. However, it damaged at least two structures inside the airport, as apparent in new satellite images. An air defense base located in the nearby district of al-Kiswah was also hit.
At least five service members of the SAA were killed as a result of the attack. All of them were reportedly air defense operators.
looks like the radar west of al-Kiswah may have been destroyed by the Israeli airstrike last night as well https://t.co/zNXmIbOXt7 https://t.co/wamIlEoGbt pic.twitter.com/HAQcPyyf5U
— Samir (@obretix) September 17, 2022
Israel stepped up its attacks on Syrian airports in the last few weeks, allegedly to disturb Iranian weapons shipments meant for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Earlier this year, Tel Aviv accused the IRGC of smuggling weapons to Syria aboard civilian airliners.
The recent attacks were likely meant to pressure Syria into moving away from its allies. This will not likely happen any time soon.
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