Israel threatens to destroy Syrian air defence systems

Insurgents stage attack on eastern side of Damascus

JERUSALEM // Israel yesterday threatened to destroy Syrian air defence systems after they fired ground-to-air missiles at Israeli warplanes carrying out strikes.

“The next time the Syrians use their air defence systems against our planes we will destroy them without the slightest hesitation,” defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said.

Israel said several anti-aircraft missiles were fired at its warplanes on Friday after they carried out strikes targeting weapons bound for Lebanon’s Shiite Hizbollah movement, an ally of the regime in Syria’s six-year civil war.

Although the Bashar Al Assad government has made major gains against the rebels and extremist groups over the past year, they managed to stage a surprise attack in Damascus yesterday.

Fierce clashes broke out in the Syrian capital after insurgents infiltrated government- held parts of the eastern side of the city through tunnels overnight.

The clashes centred around Abasseen, an area between the besieged, opposition-held Jobar and Qaboun neighbourhoods.

Steady shelling and sniper fire could be heard across Damascus as rebel factions allied with former Al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah Al Sham launched an attack on regime positions.

Residents said artillery shells and rockets were landing in the heart of the city. The activist-run Facebook group, Damascus Today, reported government air raids over the area of the clashes.

Reinforcements arrived on the government side to repel the attack in the afternoon, the group said.

With its military depleted from six years of fighting and defections, the Syrian government relies on official and semi-official forces to defend its territory, including Hizbollah and other Shiite militias from Iran, Iraq and other countries.

Although Israel has said it was keeping out of the war, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted last April that it had attacked dozens of convoys in Syria transporting weapons destined for Hizbollah, which fought a 2006 war with Israel.

Israel does not usually confirm or deny individual raids, but it may have been led to acknowledge Friday’s raid by the circumstances of the incident.

“Each time we discover arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon we will act to stop them. On this there will be no compromise,” Mr Lieberman said.

“The Syrians must understand that they are held responsible for these arms transfers to Hizbollah and that if they continue to allow them then we will do what we have to do.”

Israel said it carried out strikes targeting weapons bound for Lebanon’s Hizbollah movement