Syrian air defenses repel missile strike against Shayrat air base in Homs province – state media

Published time: 16 Apr, 2018 22:17Edited time: 17 Apr, 2018 02:14

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FILE PHOTO: Syrian air defense repels air strike in Damascus, April 14, 2018.

 SYRIA TV via Reuters TV

Syrian air defense systems have been activated in response to a missile attack targeting Shayrat Airbase in Homs province, and, according to state media, managed to take down all the incoming projectiles.

Up to 10 missiles were destroyed by the Syrian Armed Forces, a military source told Sputnik. The Syrian air defenses managed to intercept some of the projectiles, according to a SANA reporter. Meanwhile, the Al Mayadeen news outlet is claiming that all the projectiles were intercepted and inflicted no physical damage or casualties at the targeted Syrian base.

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The Pentagon has denied initiating strikes or conducting any other military activity in Homs province. “There is no US military activity in that area at this time,” the Pentagon’s spokesperson told Reuters. The same information was also shared with TASS news agency by Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon.

The raid in Homs countryside reportedly coincided with another missile attack against a military airbase near Damascus. According to various Arabic media channels, three missiles targeted Al Dumayr airport, but they were all allegedly downed by the Syrian air defenses.

According to yet unconfirmed reports, the missiles entered Syrian airspace from Lebanon, which may indicate that the Israeli Air Force could have been involved, Al-Masdar News reports, citing a military source. The outlet’s reporter also published several videos allegedly showing the launch of interceptor missiles.

Israel, which hardly ever acknowledges its raids inside Syria, failed to comment on its alleged involvement. “We don’t comment on such reports,” an Israeli military spokesman told Reuters. The US Department of Defense spokesman, meanwhile, told Sky News Arabia that there are “a lot of players” in the region who could have carried out the Tuesday morning attack in Syria.

While it remains unclear who launched the attack, the reported strike comes just days after Washington, London and Paris carried out a coordinated strike in Syria in the early hours of Saturday morning. It also comes roughly a week after two Israeli F-15 fighters targeted another Syria’s airbase in Homs province, Tiyas (also known as T-4 Airbase).