Israel Trains to destroy Russian air defense systems (photos ) | Muraselon
Nov 13, 2018
Israeli military is conducting special trainings on destroying Russian air defense systems used by the Syrian Army.
The reports of such trainings came when photos taken from Negev desert were recently released showing inflatable dummies of the Osa and Kvadrat surface-to-air missile systems.
The IDF hasn’t commented on the claims yet, and the photos have yet to be verified.
Designed during the Soviet era, the Osa and Kvadrat are known to NATO as SA-8 and SA-6, respectively.
The two air defense systems are used by the Syrian Army and deployed in various locations across Syria.
This comes a few days after an Israeli official threatened to destroy the recently-supplied S-300 missile systems in Syria if used against Israeli fighter jets.
Russia has completed delivery of the advanced S-300 air defense system to Syria on early October. The decision was made after an Israeli F-16 was held fully responsible for the downing of Russian IL-20 aircraft in late September.
North Syria Opposition Factions Mobilize over Fears of Regime Assault
Monday, 12 November, 2018 - 07:45 -
Guarantor states have been facing difficulties to contain violations of the Russian-Turkish truce deal in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib and Latakia amid rising attacks in Syria’s “buffer zone,” particularly in the countryside of Idlib and Hama.
Syrian opposition sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that the Turkish-Russian deal was “collapsing.”
On Sept. 17, Moscow and Ankara agreed on setting up a demilitarized zone 15-20 kilometers deep and stretching along the front lines around Idlib, including parts of the provinces of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo.
But attacks launched lately by the Syrian regime pushed opposition factions to take preventive measures in those areas.
“Opposition factions and extremist groups in the southwest of Idlib sent reinforcements to the fronts, and increased mobilization ahead of any possible escalatory measures by Syria’s regime forces,” the sources said.
The new developments came following two days of military tension, and the closure of the Morek crossing in north Hama.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday regime forces used heavy machineguns in areas surrounding the town of Al-Lataminah in the Hama countryside.
“In the wake of a new round of fierce fighting between factions and regime forces, all sides are mobilizing their fighters and pushing for reinforcements,” SOHR director Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Meanwhile, regime forces and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham clashed in the demilitarized zone in the countryside of east Idlib.
Activists said regime forces targeted the town of Jisr beit al-Rass and other areas west of the city of Aleppo and in the northern part of Al-Hamawi's countryside.
However, the Syrian regime accused opposition factions of violating the truce in Idlib.
SANA news agency reported that “terrorist” groups linked to Jabhat al-Nusra and the Turkistan Party, tried to infiltrate from Morek, Tal al-Shakher, Al-Lataminah and Maarakaba towns in the direction of regime positions.
A political expert says Saudi Arabia will never be able to assassinate Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani because Iranian counter-intelligence is “impeccable.”
The New York Times earlier reported that a Saudi aide to Crown Prince Mohammed Salman had taken part in a meeting in Riyadh in 2017 where plans were discussed to assassinate the kingdom’s “determined enemy,” Major General Qassem Soleimani.
General Soleimani has been at the forefront of Iran’s advisory efforts in Syria and Iraq, two Muslim countries suffering from Takfiri militancy — which is sponsored chiefly by Saudi Arabia.
Alexander Azadegan, a political analyst, told Press TV on Tuesday that the assassination plot “is not going to happen to him, because the Iranian intelligence services are impeccable.”
The new revelation by The New York Times added to the embarrassment the Saudi royal family is facing in the wake of another perceived enemy, Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered by Saudi Arabian agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
<iframe src="http://PressTV.com/Default/Embed/579897" width="580" height="326" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Saudi Major General Ahmed al-Assiri, who has allegedly been fired over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, took part at a meeting in Riyadh in 2017 that involved plans to assassinate the kingdom’s “determined enemy,” Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani, as well as sabotaging Iran’s economy, The New York Times reports, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The March 2017 meeting in Riyadh brought together businessmen that “pitched a $2 billion plan to use private intelligence operatives to sabotage the Iranian economy,” read the report released Sunday.
“Top Saudi intelligence officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked a small group of businessmen last year about using private companies to assassinate Iranian enemies of the kingdom,” it said.
As the meeting came at a time that bin Salman was consolidating his power in the kingdom, the report concludes that planning for assassinations, like that of dissident journalist Khashoggi, started “since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s ascent.”
Assiri’s top aides also “inquired about killing” Iran’s General Soleimani as the attendees were trying to “win Saudi funding for their plan,” read the report by the US daily.
General Solemani has been at the forefront of Iran’s advisory efforts in Syria and Iraq, two Muslim countries suffering from Takfiri militancy, allegedly backed by Saudi Arabia and some other US allies.
Iran’s foreign ministry has accused Washington of seeking to wage an extensive “psychological war” against Tehran, insisting that such US measures are not worthy of much concern.
The new revelation adds to the embarrassment the US ally is facing in the wake of Khashoggi’s assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as well as violation of human rights in the war on Yemen.
Turkish intelligence intercepts reportedly show that Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi mission in Istanbul on October 2, was murdered on a direct order from the Saudi de facto ruler.
Saudi Arabia has acknowledged the murder, yet left many questions unanswered.
Khashoggi had been there to obtain a document certifying he divorced his ex-wife.
Nov 13, 2018
Israeli military is conducting special trainings on destroying Russian air defense systems used by the Syrian Army.
The reports of such trainings came when photos taken from Negev desert were recently released showing inflatable dummies of the Osa and Kvadrat surface-to-air missile systems.
The IDF hasn’t commented on the claims yet, and the photos have yet to be verified.
Designed during the Soviet era, the Osa and Kvadrat are known to NATO as SA-8 and SA-6, respectively.
The two air defense systems are used by the Syrian Army and deployed in various locations across Syria.
This comes a few days after an Israeli official threatened to destroy the recently-supplied S-300 missile systems in Syria if used against Israeli fighter jets.
Russia has completed delivery of the advanced S-300 air defense system to Syria on early October. The decision was made after an Israeli F-16 was held fully responsible for the downing of Russian IL-20 aircraft in late September.
North Syria Opposition Factions Mobilize over Fears of Regime Assault
Monday, 12 November, 2018 - 07:45 -
Guarantor states have been facing difficulties to contain violations of the Russian-Turkish truce deal in the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Idlib and Latakia amid rising attacks in Syria’s “buffer zone,” particularly in the countryside of Idlib and Hama.
Syrian opposition sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Sunday that the Turkish-Russian deal was “collapsing.”
On Sept. 17, Moscow and Ankara agreed on setting up a demilitarized zone 15-20 kilometers deep and stretching along the front lines around Idlib, including parts of the provinces of Latakia, Hama and Aleppo.
But attacks launched lately by the Syrian regime pushed opposition factions to take preventive measures in those areas.
“Opposition factions and extremist groups in the southwest of Idlib sent reinforcements to the fronts, and increased mobilization ahead of any possible escalatory measures by Syria’s regime forces,” the sources said.
The new developments came following two days of military tension, and the closure of the Morek crossing in north Hama.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday regime forces used heavy machineguns in areas surrounding the town of Al-Lataminah in the Hama countryside.
“In the wake of a new round of fierce fighting between factions and regime forces, all sides are mobilizing their fighters and pushing for reinforcements,” SOHR director Rami Abdul Rahman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Meanwhile, regime forces and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham clashed in the demilitarized zone in the countryside of east Idlib.
Activists said regime forces targeted the town of Jisr beit al-Rass and other areas west of the city of Aleppo and in the northern part of Al-Hamawi's countryside.
However, the Syrian regime accused opposition factions of violating the truce in Idlib.
SANA news agency reported that “terrorist” groups linked to Jabhat al-Nusra and the Turkistan Party, tried to infiltrate from Morek, Tal al-Shakher, Al-Lataminah and Maarakaba towns in the direction of regime positions.
A political expert says Saudi Arabia will never be able to assassinate Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani because Iranian counter-intelligence is “impeccable.”
The New York Times earlier reported that a Saudi aide to Crown Prince Mohammed Salman had taken part in a meeting in Riyadh in 2017 where plans were discussed to assassinate the kingdom’s “determined enemy,” Major General Qassem Soleimani.
General Soleimani has been at the forefront of Iran’s advisory efforts in Syria and Iraq, two Muslim countries suffering from Takfiri militancy — which is sponsored chiefly by Saudi Arabia.
Alexander Azadegan, a political analyst, told Press TV on Tuesday that the assassination plot “is not going to happen to him, because the Iranian intelligence services are impeccable.”
The new revelation by The New York Times added to the embarrassment the Saudi royal family is facing in the wake of another perceived enemy, Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was murdered by Saudi Arabian agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
<iframe src="http://PressTV.com/Default/Embed/579897" width="580" height="326" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Saudi Major General Ahmed al-Assiri, who has allegedly been fired over the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, took part at a meeting in Riyadh in 2017 that involved plans to assassinate the kingdom’s “determined enemy,” Iran’s Major General Qassem Soleimani, as well as sabotaging Iran’s economy, The New York Times reports, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
The March 2017 meeting in Riyadh brought together businessmen that “pitched a $2 billion plan to use private intelligence operatives to sabotage the Iranian economy,” read the report released Sunday.
“Top Saudi intelligence officials close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked a small group of businessmen last year about using private companies to assassinate Iranian enemies of the kingdom,” it said.
As the meeting came at a time that bin Salman was consolidating his power in the kingdom, the report concludes that planning for assassinations, like that of dissident journalist Khashoggi, started “since the beginning of Prince Mohammed’s ascent.”
Assiri’s top aides also “inquired about killing” Iran’s General Soleimani as the attendees were trying to “win Saudi funding for their plan,” read the report by the US daily.
General Solemani has been at the forefront of Iran’s advisory efforts in Syria and Iraq, two Muslim countries suffering from Takfiri militancy, allegedly backed by Saudi Arabia and some other US allies.
Iran’s foreign ministry has accused Washington of seeking to wage an extensive “psychological war” against Tehran, insisting that such US measures are not worthy of much concern.
The new revelation adds to the embarrassment the US ally is facing in the wake of Khashoggi’s assassination at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul as well as violation of human rights in the war on Yemen.
“The interest in assassinations, covert operations and military campaigns like the war in Yemen — overseen by Prince Mohammed — is a change for the kingdom, which historically has avoided an adventurous foreign policy that could create instability and imperil Saudi Arabia’s comfortable position as one of the world’s largest oil suppliers,” added the report.
Turkish intelligence intercepts reportedly show that Khashoggi, who was last seen entering the Saudi mission in Istanbul on October 2, was murdered on a direct order from the Saudi de facto ruler.
Saudi Arabia has acknowledged the murder, yet left many questions unanswered.
Khashoggi had been there to obtain a document certifying he divorced his ex-wife.
