From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Syria air defenses target suspected drones over Russia base
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSyria state media is reporting that the country’s air defense systems have destroyed three “hostile” targets in the country’s coastal region over a Russian air base.
The Britain-based monitoring Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says explosions heard earlier today resulted from the air defense systems intercepting suspected attacking drones, which had previously targeted the Russian air base in Latakia province.
Militants in nearby Idlib province last launched an armed drone toward the base in November violating a ceasefire in place two months earlier.
But the Russian-Turkey sponsored ceasefire has in recent days has seen increasing violations after radical al-Qaeda-linked militants pushed out other armed groups, effectively seizing control of the area home to nearly 3 million civilians. Russia complained last week al-Qaeda-linked group’s hold increasingly threatened its air base.
— AP
The Times of Israel Community.