Russia’s Defense Ministry told TASS on Thursday that Syrian air defense units had managed to down more than half of the air-launched and tactical ground-based missiles fired by Israel early Thursday morning.
According to the ministry, “the Iranian armed units’ deployment sites as well as the positions of the Syrian army’s air defense units near Damascus and in southern Syria came under attack,” and “while repelling Israel’s attack, Syria’s air defense units downed more than half of the missiles.”
“Israel used more than 70 air-to-surface and tactical missiles, between the hours of 01:45 and 03:45 on May 10 […] on the pretext of retaliation for an attack against Israeli positions in the area of Golan heights by armed groups dealt strikes against Syrian territory,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
“Participating in the air raid were 28 Israeli F-15 and F-16 planes, which fired more than 60 air-to-surface missiles on different parts of Syria. Also Israel launched more than ten tactical surface-to-surface missiles,” the Defense Ministry said. “The attacks were against the deployment sites of Iranian armed groups and also Syrian air defenses in the area of Damascus and in southern Syria.”
“Syria’s air defenses downed more than half of the Israeli missiles,” the Defense Ministry claimed.
The Defense Ministry added that reports on the damage suffered by the Iranian armed units and Syria’s military and civil infrastructure “are being verified.”