Russia sends fighter jets to Syria to bolster Assad’s defenses

The situation in Syria continues to get complicated with every passing day because Russia has apparently sent at least four fighter jets to Syria in order to bolster the embattled forces of Bashar al Assad. Moscow has already dispatched troops and military hardware and these include helicopter gunships, tanks and nearly 500 Russian marines. These have been sent to an airfield near the Syrian port city of Latakia.
This has been reported in news.fox.com dated 19 September 2015.

The build-up has coincided with Syrian government planes launching a second round of airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Palmyra and killing at least 26 people.
US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks in London with Foreign Minister Philip Hammond has indicated that the build-up is disturbing. In the opinion of John Kerry, the presence of aircraft with air-to-air combat capacity and surface-to-air missiles in the region raises serious questions.
While one US official has revealed that four tactical Russian fighter jets have now been sent to Syria, another US official has confirmed the presence of multiple jets, but has not put a number on how many.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Russia instigates the US – positions T-90 battle tanks at Syrian airport

In yet another instance of instigation, Russia has positioned seven numbers of T-90 battle tanks at a Syrian airfield near Latakia in order to bolster the forces of President Bashar al Assad. This news has come after news last week that Russia was bolstering Syria's embattled national forces.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 14 September 2015.

The range of equipment believed to have been deployed by Moscow include two tank landing ships and extra aircraft, along with a small number of naval infantry forces. The aim of the Russian military build-up is not very clear. In the opinion of a US official, the purpose could be to help rebuild or defend the airfield.
Damascus has denied that Russian forces were involved in combat, but the fact remains that the number of Russian "experts" had increased in the past year. Syria's ambassador to Moscow has reiterated that talks of Russian troops on the ground is "a lie".
From all appearances it looks likely that Russia is rebuilding two significant airfields including the one outside Latakia. And, these are now being defended with these Russian-manned Russian tanks. An infantry battalion of around 1,000 men has been deployed in western Syria to defend the port of Tartus.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Russia’s game plan not clear – it sends Pantsir-S missile system to Syria

The game plan of Russia remains in mystery because, while it has urged the US to engage in military co-operation, it is believed to be sending an advanced anti-aircraft missile system to Syria. This dispatch of the missile system has been confirmed by two Western officials. A Russian source has described the system as Pantsir-S missiles that are sent to the war-torn country where the US has been engaging in airstrikes on Islamic State.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 13 September 2015.

The anti-aircraft system would be under control and be operated by Russian troops, rather than Syrians. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has clarified that his country was sending equipment to help Syrian President Bashar al Assad fight Islamic State. He has added that Russian servicemen were in Syria primarily to help service that equipment and teach Syrian soldiers how to use it.
Russia is also staging naval exercises off Syria's coast. Russia is an ally of Syria and it already has a Mediterranean naval base at Tartus on the Syrian coast which it would try to defend. As per information with the United States, there are about 200 Russian naval infantry forces presently stationed in Latakia on the coast in government-held Syria. The majority of the forces were engaged in reviving the airfield for future use.
Incidentally, the Syrian civil war has left 250,000 people dead, has divided the nation and has turned half of Syria's 23 million people into refugees – most of them are seeking asylum in European countries.
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US warns Russia about it setting up a ‘forward operating base’ in war torn Syria

#syria #ISIS #johnkerry #Latakia It is understood that the United States has warned Moscow about dangers of increased aid to the government of Syria amid multiple reports that soldiers from Russia had begun to participate in the country's civil war.
Secretary of State John Kerry has called upon hid counterpart Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and had issued a warning about the increased presence of the Russian military in the war-torn country of Syria.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 6 September 2015.

The rumors are that Russia has built an air traffic control tower and housing in western Syria for setting up a 'forward operating base'. Russian government have already admitted to sending its advisers, specialists and weapons to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, but does not accept that its soldiers are actively involved in Syria’s battle against various rebel groups.
Incidentally, Russia has requested air right from surrounding countries to fly military cargo to their airfield near the Syrian city of Latakia. Moreover, it also maintains a naval base in the port city of Tartus.
Obviously, the world leaders must maintain calm and restraint and keep a check on activities that could aggravate the existing volatile situation in Syria and, added to the threats of the ISIS, it needs handing with care and caution.
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MQ-1 Predator drone of the US shot down in Syria

#predatordrone #ISIS #Syria #Latakia #PresidentAssad The destruction of a MQ-1 Predator drone in Syria was the first direct attack carried out on any US aircraft. The drone had gone missing and, later, images surfaced that showed burned metal and mangled electronics. These are believed to belong to the first American aircraft to go down in Syria since the U.S. began airstrikes on ISIS inside the country.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 18 March 2015.
The images are thought to be from the coastal city of Latakia which is a stronghold of President Bashar al-Assad. His regime is still fighting a bitter civil war against Islamic State militants.
From circumstantial evidence like two charred panels bearing the logo of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc - the company who produce the MQ-1 drone – it is presumed to be the drone that had gone missing. The Pentagon is trying to find out reasons of why the operators lost control of the drone.
It is not clear as to who shot it down – was it ISIS or forces of Syria?

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