Moscow says all drones in Syria operate as planned as Turkey downs unidentified UAV

October 16, 2015 By administrator

RT Report All Russian military planes have safely returned to base in Syria after combat missions, the Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding all drones are operating as planned. Earlier, the Turkish military said it shot down an aircraft on the Syrian border.

“All planes of the Russian Air Group in the Syrian Arab Republic have returned to the Hmeimim Airbase after completing their combat missions. Russian unmanned aerial vehicles conducting monitoring and aerial reconnaissance on the territory of Syria, are operating in the routine mode,” Defense Ministry official spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov told journalists on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, Turkey’s military said in a written statement that it downed an unidentified drone in Turkish airspace around 3km from the Syrian border.

The military added that it issued three warnings before shooting down the drone.

At the same time, a US official has told Reuters Washington suspects that the drone shot down by the Turkish military was Russian. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to provide further details saying that the information was still preliminary.

Russian airplanes previously violated Turkish airspace near the Syrian border on October 3. The incident prompted Turkey to scramble two F-16 jets. On October 5, Russia admitted making a mistake explaining that bad weather caused the warplanes to violate Turkey’s airspace. Ankara has accepted the matter, saying the same day that there is no ill feeling between the two countries.

Russia’s accidental excursion into Turkey – a NATO member state – prompted the military alliance to slam Moscow for what it deemed “irresponsible behavior.”

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg gathered a meeting of bloc member states on October 5, following which it released a statement condemning the “incursions into and violations of NATO airspace.”

In response to the criticism Russia’s envoy to NATO said on October that similar incidents have been previously “clarified through bilateral or military channels” adding that it’s “a common practice.”

NATO has ignored clarifications from Russia about the plane incident saying that all attempts to explain the reasons behind the incident fell on deaf ears, he said.

He also accused NATO of using the incident to “include NATO as an organization into the information campaign unleashed in the West, which perverts and distorts the purposes of the operation conducted by the Russian air forces in Syria.”

Khmeimim Airbase, located in Syria’s northwestern Latakia province, is the strategic center of Russia’s military operation against IS, launched on September 30.

Israel must explain airstrikes on Syria: Russia

December 8, 2014 By administrator

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed grave concern over Israel’s recent airstrike against Syria, calling on Tel Aviv to provide explanation regarding the military aggression.

“Moscow is deeply worried by this dangerous development, the circumstances of which demand an explanation,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

Russia has sent a letter to the UN complaining about Israel’s “aggressive action,” stressing that such attacks should not take place in the future, he added.

Israeli warplanes carried out two air assaults against an area of the Damascus International Airport and another airport in the town of Dimas on Sunday.

The Syrian army issued a statement later in the day, saying the airstrikes by Tel Aviv were aimed at helping the ISIL Takfiri terrorists operating in the Arab country.

The Damascus International Airport is located southeast of the Syrian capital near areas such as Eastern Ghouta, where the ISIL militants have gained control over much of the Syrian territory.

Israel has carried out several airstrikes in Syria since the start of the conflict in the country in 2011.

500 Turkish Fighters Are Among Syrian Opposition Ranks

October 1, 2013 By administrator

Turkish intelligence services have reported the presence of about 500 fighters from Turkey in Syria. Some of them are fighting in jihadist ranks and others are serving as mercenaries. Mercenaries earn $1,500 a month. A third group are Kurds from Turkey who have joined the Democratic Union Party (PYD) that is now clashing with the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
These intelligence reports have finally put an end to debates on whether fighters from Turkey are involved in the Syrian war. According to information Taraf obtained from intelligence sources, there are now about 500 people from Turkey fighting in Syria.

They are concentrated into three categories. The first group contains those who have come to Syria to join the jihad along with fighters from a variety of Muslim countries. The second group are mercenaries who have been recruited by private security units set up to protect the assets of rich Syrians.

Mostly adventurers, these mercenaries earn up to $1,500 a month. The third group comprises Kurds of Turkey who have come to join the PKK’s Syrian extension, the PYD. Some former PKK fighters are those who have returned to their normal lives in Turkey with the solution process. Meanwhile, some former pro-government Kurdish village guards have joined the FSA. Reports said there have been instances when the Kurdish village guards from Turkey have clashed with Kurdish fighters of the PYD.

Turkish intelligence sources said that a new group in the Syrian war is formed almost every day and now there are about 1,200 groups fighting against Assad. Most of them have foreign sponsors in Europe and the Arab world. Most of the groups claim religious motivations. Experts have said some countries sponsor more than one organization. Leaders of these organizations want to have a place in the regime that will replace President Bashar al-Assad.

Source Al monitor