(Zaman Al Wasl)- A source operating in the Syrian Air Defence Force told Zaman al-Wasl that the defence systems were paralysed and almost caused a disaster during the Israeli strikes last November due to Iran’s radar jamming stations.
The source confirmed that some of Syrian defense missiles had been exploded minutes after its launch at a distance of no more than 2 to 5 km, causing many casualties.
The source information is contradicting what the state-run news agency (SANA) reported in the aftermath of the Israeli strike by claiming that regime’s air defence had intercepted 11 of the 18 missiles fired by six Israeli jets before they struck their targets.
After the Israeli attack on November 20, Syria's air defense officers attributed the fail to a wide jamming package targeted the radars and control systems but investigations revealed that three Iranian radar jammers were behind the jamming.
A committee formed by the Syrian electronic warfare said, in a report provided to the Defense Minister, the radar stations are located in Mount al-Manea near the town of al-Kiswa, Tal al-Saroukhiya (Missiles Hill) and Tal al-Sultan near the town of Sayyida Zeinab. The three sites are controlled by Iran.
Israel said on November 20 that its aircraft struck dozens of Iranian and Syrian military targets in retaliation for rockets fired towards Israel a day earlier. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said weapons and ammunition storage facilities belonging to the Al Quds force were destroyed in the attack.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said 11 people were killed, including seven members of the elite Quds Force is the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
In relevant development, Israel in November’s strikes had destroyed Russian missile systems owned by the Syrian regime, military source told Zaman al-Wasl.
The source, who requested anonymity, said Israel tried to 'not embarrassing Russia' or to evoke tension over targeting its advanced missile systems.
New satellite images obtained by Zaman al-Wasl showed that The Buk-M2 and Pantsir-S1 missile systems had been destroyed by Israel south of the Syrian capital.
The Buk is medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to counter cruise missiles. Pantsir-S1 is a combined short to medium range surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon system.
Russia used to condemn Israel for all strikes targeting the regime and Shiite allies, saying they were a “wrong move” that is in “stark contrast” to international law.
Israel has been carrying out a war-between-wars campaign since 2013, in an attempt to prevent Iran and its proxies, including Hezbollah, from obtaining advanced weapons to use against the Jewish state and from entrenching themselves in Syria.
Thousands of strikes have been carried out over the years in Syria and, according to foreign reports, in neighboring Iraq.
Zaman Al Wasl
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