Syria Under Attack Again as Missiles Trigger Air Defenses Near Shayrat Airforce Base

.
According to Syrian state media SANA, air defense systems were triggered tonight in response to an incoming missile attack targeting Shayrat Airbase in Homs province – the same military installations hit by the United States in April 2017 as retribution for the allege ‘sarin attack’ at Khan Sheikhoun on Idlib province.

According to one unconfirmed report said to be from Hezbollah media, Syrian air defences had also intercepted three missiles heading towards Dumair Military airport northeast of Damascus. This claim has still not been corroborated by Syrian media. However, Syrian state media did not mention Dumair which opposition sources claim was used in the government’s campaign to retake eastern Ghouta.

However, Syrian state media still has not reported who might have fired the missiles at Syrian military targets.

RT reports…

Up to 10 missiles were destroyed by the Syrian Armed Forces, a military source told Sputnik. The Syrian air defenses managed to intercept some of the projectiles, according to a SANA reporter. Meanwhile, the Al Mayadeen news outlet is claiming that all the projectiles were intercepted and inflicted no physical damage or casualties at the targeted Syrian base.

The Pentagon has denied initiating strikes or conducting any other military activity in Homs province. “There is no US military activity in that area at this time,” the Pentagon’s spokesperson told Reuters. The same information was also shared with TASS news agency by Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon.

IMAGE: Damage to Shayrat airfield in Syria from US missiles in 2017. Photograph: OSD / HANDOUT/EPA

The raid in Homs countryside reportedly coincided with another missile attack against a military airbase near Damascus. According to various Arabic media channels, three missiles targeted Al Dumayr airport, but they were all allegedly downed by the Syrian air defenses.

According to yet unconfirmed reports, the missiles entered Syrian airspace from Lebanon, which may indicate that the Israeli Air Force could have been involved, Al-Masdar News reports, citing a military source. The outlet’s reporter also published several videos allegedly showing the launch of interceptor missiles.

Video shows Missile launched against unknown Target in Far East Damascus countryside pic.twitter.com/QwVkkhHCpR

— H.K (@Ibra_Joudeh) April 16, 2018

Israel, which hardly ever acknowledges its raids inside Syria, failed to comment on its alleged involvement. “We don’t comment on such reports,” an Israeli military spokesman told Reuters. The US Department of Defense spokesman, meanwhile, told Sky News Arabia that there are “a lot of players” in the region who could have carried out the Tuesday morning attack in Syria.

While it remains unclear who launched the attack, the reported strike comes just days after Washington, London and Paris carried out a coordinated strike in Syria in the early hours of Saturday morning. It also comes roughly a week after two Israeli F-15 fighters targeted another Syria’s airbase in Homs province, Tiyas (also known as T-4 Airbase).

READ MORE SYRIA NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Syria Files

SUPPORT 21WIRE – SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV

21st Century Wire is an alternative news agency designed to enlighten, inform and educate readers about world events which are not always covered in the mainstream media.