Russian MoD: Two Israeli Warplanes Attacked Syrian Airbase

The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that it had been two Israeli warplanes that had attacked a Syrian government T-4 airbase in the Homs province early on Monday.

"On April 9, from 03:25 to 03:53 Moscow time, two Israeli Air Force F-15 jets, carried out an airstrike by two guided missiles on the T-4 airfield from the Lebanese territory and without entering Syria's airspace."

According to the Russian military, the strikes were carried out from Lebanese airspace.

Five out of eight strikes, carried out by the Israeli F-15 jets, were destroyed by Syrian air defenses, the ministry said.

"Three missiles reached the western part of the airfield. There are no Russian [military] advisers among those injured."

While the Israeli authorities have abstained so far to comment on the incident, the country's Air Force had bombed the same airbase in the Homs province back in February.

When asked by Sputnik, the Israeli Embassy in Russia has refused to comment on the Russian Defense Ministry’s data about the strikes on the Syrian T-4 airbase. "No comments," diplomatic mission’s press attache Alex Gandler told Sputnik.

The Israeli Defense Forces have also refused to either approve or deny the statements made by the Russian Defense Ministry about the Israeli Air Force’s involvement in the strikes, with IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus telling Sputnik, "We do not comment on this."

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin had no contacts with Israel with regard to the airstrikes on the Syrian base.

Russian defense and foreign ministries have requested Israel to provide explanations for its airstrikes on the Syrian military facility, Russian Senator and former FSB general Vladimir Jabarov said.

At the same time, pan-Arab TV channel Al-Mayadeen reported that an Israeli spy plane had been spotted over the baseat the moment of the April 9 strike.

Earlier in the day, Syria's SANA state news agency reported a missile strike on the T-4 airbase, suggesting that the US might have been behind the attack. The Pentagon, however, denied any involvement, saying that it hasn't conducted any airstrikes in Syria. It was also stated that Syrian Air Defense Force managed to intercept several rockets, although the strike caused casualties.

Later in the day, SANA, citing a military source, reported that Israeli F-15s had conducted an overnight missile attack on a major air base in central Syria.

According to Al Mayadeen broadcaster, after the attack, Daesh* terrorists attempted to launch an offensive in several districts of the Homs province.

Daesh Tried to Launch Offensive After Missile Attack on Syrian Base - Reports

9 April 2018, 05:47 GMT

The attack comes just a day after the US, the EU, as well as NATO member Turkey, have accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, after media reports, citing militant sources on the ground, about an alleged chlorine gas attack that, supposedly, killed dozens of civilians, had emerged. Damascus has strongly denied the claims, saying that it had warned that militants in the area had been preparing a provocation, involving chemical weapons' use.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated on Monday that the Russian military had warned of a provocation with the use of chemical weapons in Syria that was designed to put the blame on Damascus.

Russia and Iran have slammed the claims, they believe are baseless, which had been spread by such controversial NGOs as the White Helmets, which has been busted of faking its reports, and warned against using the alleged chemical attack as a pretext for a militarty action against Damascus.

*Daesh, also known as ISIS, Islamic State, IS is a terrorist group banned in Russia