Syria again using Scuds against opposition forces, US says

State Department says Assad regime defying warnings not to escalate fighting

A Russian-made Scud missile (photo credit: CC BY-ND ppz, Flickr)
A Russian-made Scud missile (photo credit: CC BY-ND ppz, Flickr)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says the Syrian government is continuing to fire Scud missiles at rebels and regime opponents as they make territorial gains.

A State Department official said Thursday that Washington was aware that the regime had used Scud missiles within the last few days, despite warnings from the US and other nations not to escalate the crisis.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified. NATO and the Pentagon have previously confirmed that Scud missiles have been fired at the opposition.

Last week, defense officials said the regime fired the missiles from the Damascus area into northern Syria. At the time, one official estimated that the number of Scuds fired was more than a half-dozen.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.