Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in Syria was targeted by over a dozen of missiles Wednesday, but they were shot down by air defenses, the Defense Ministry says. The attack comes less than two days after massive shelling by militants.
The attack was launched from the Idlib de-escalation zone which is largely controlled by Syrian Al-Qaeda offshoot, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group (formerly known as Al-Nusra Front).
Fighters from two minor militant groups fired 12 rockets “in the direction” of the airbase on Wednesday afternoon, the head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation in Syria, Maj. Gen. Viktor Kupchishin, said.
“Thanks to the effective anti-aircraft defenses of Khmeimim airbase, all the rocket munitions were shot down. No casualties or damage was inflicted,” Kupchishin said.
The multiple rocket launchers, used by the militants, were promptly detected and subsequently destroyed by Russian aircraft and Syrian Army artillery units, he added.
The shelling came just over a day after two attacks were launched at the airbase on Monday. The militants fired some 36 projectiles at the facility. The rockets were intercepted, while launch sites were bombed in retaliatory strikes.
While Khmeimim has been repeatedly targeted by various anti-government militants, the increase in the attacks appear to be linked to the offensive launched by Syrian forces earlier this week. Syrian government forces have advanced against the last major terrorist stronghold in the country, capturing several villages in the north-western Hama Province.
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