World

Hezbollah Lauds Damascus for Downing Missiles, Accuses US of 'Waging War'

Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militant Shia group, has declared that the US will never succeed in the war that it has unleashed against Syria and ordinary people in the Middle East.
Sputnik

In a statement on Saturday, the Shia militant movement Hezbollah piled praise on Syria for repelling airstrikes earlier launched by the US, the UK and France against the Arab Republic, according to Reuters.

"The war that America is waging against Syria, against peoples of the region and resistance and liberation movements, will not realize its goals," the statement said.

READ MORE: Putin: Attack on Syria 'Act of Aggression' Against Sovereign State

It came amid reports about more than 100 missiles being launched by US warships at Syrian civilian and military targets earlier in the day after President Donald Trump issued a relevant order in response to the April 7 alleged chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian city of Douma.

Most of the missiles were intercepted by the Syrian air defense forces, according to the country's General Staff.

Earlier, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) cited Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as saying that Syria will never be intimidated by Trump's threats to stage a missile strike on this Arab country, which he warned would have far-reaching consequences.

READ MORE: Iranian Supreme Leader Calls Trump, Macron, May "Criminals" After Syria Attack

"With every major victory against terrorism in Syria, an alleged use of chemical weapons is staged by the sponsors of terrorism, like what happened in Douma recently," Nasrallah underscored.

Writing on his Twitter page earlier this week, Trump said that Russia should brace itself for "nice and smart" US missiles which will be launched on Syria. Shortly after, he backpedaled the statement by tweeting that he does not know when the attack would take place.

READ MORE: Strikes on Syria Likely Sign of Imminent US Withdrawal — Opposition Group

Pretext for Strike on Syria ‘Obvious Hoax’ - US State Senator Black
During a press briefing on Friday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov has described the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma as a planned provocation which was organized by some purported NGO groups, such as the White Helmets, which aimed to prompt the US to stage a missile attack on Syria.

Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based Shia movement founded in the 1980s which has repeatedly been engaged in military conflicts with Israel. The group supports incumbent Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is a representative of the Alawites, a Syrian Shia minority.

Discuss