Russia’s air defenses repel drone attack on Hmeimim base in Syria
Russian air defenses have repelled a drone attack launched by unidentified militants on the strategic Hmeimim airbase in Western Syria, the Russian defense ministry says.
Rear Admiral Alexander Shcherbitsky, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's center for Syrian reconciliation, announced on Sunday that the unmanned aerial vehicles attempting to attack the Syrian base hosting Russian forces were shot down by air defence systems.
“On 11 July at around 22:30 [19:30 GMT], Russian air defense systems identified drones that were approaching the Hmeimim airbase from the northeast,” he said in a statement.
“Two drones … were destroyed at a distance of five kilometers [3.1 miles] from the airbase,” Shcherbitsky said.
No casualties or material damage were reported following the incident, the head of the center for Syrian reconciliation said.
Armed groups in the Idlib de-escalation zone regularly make attempts at attacking the Hmeimim airbase using drones.
Over the past year, the Russian military and the Syrian army have thwarted several drone and mortar attacks launched by militants on the airbase, destroying dozens of drones and multiple-launch rocket system shells.
Russia has been helping Syrian forces in the ongoing battles across the conflict-plagued Arab country.
The Russian military assistance, which began in September 2015 at the official request of the Syrian government, has proved effective as Syrians continue to recapture key areas from Daesh and other terrorist groups across the country thanks to Russian air cover.
Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.
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