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Syria says new air defences will make Israel think twice
DAMASCUS, Sept 26, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A top Syrian official has said a new
air defence system from ally Russia will force Israel to “think carefully”
before carrying out any more air strikes in the country.
Moscow announced on Monday it would deliver the advanced S-300 air defence
system, a week after the Syrian military downed a Russian plane by mistake
following an Israeli air strike.
Russia has blamed the friendly fire on Israeli pilots using the larger
Russian plane as “cover”.
Late Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Meqdad said Damascus
welcomed the delivery of the advanced S-300 system promised to arrive within
two weeks.
It replaces Syria’s existing Russian-built S-200 system, which dates back
to the Soviet era, in a move that had been due to take place in 2013 but was
held up by Russia at Israel’s request.
“I think that Israel, which is accustomed to carrying out many attacks
under different pretexts, will have to think carefully about attacking Syria
again,” Meqdad said.
In recent years, Israel has carried out repeated air strikes in war-torn
Syria against Iranian targets and what is says are advanced arm deliveries to
Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah.
Iran and Hezbollah are allies of President Bashar al-Assad in the seven-
year civil war.
“Let the Israelis try, we will defend ourselves as we always do,” the
state SANA news agency quoted Meqdad as saying.
The downing of the Russian plane late Monday last week killed all 15
soldiers on board, after an Israeli plane targeted a military position in the
northwestern province of Latakia.
The accident was the deadliest friendly fire between Syria and Russia
since Moscow’s game-changing military intervention in the war in 2015.
More than 360,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the
conflict erupted in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government
protests.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1750 hrs