Militants in Syria Supplied With Anti-Aircraft Missiles

Local Editor

A western-backed militant organization in southern Syria had received anti-aircraft launchers and missiles, according to a video published online by the group.

Ansar al-Islam militants paraded the MANPADs [Man-portable air-defense systems] after speculation that the US may lift the ban on the transfer of the shoulder-fired anti-aircraft launchers to "vetted" groups.

The militant group, one of dozens of organizations approved by the Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] to receive weapons transfers, claimed to have a "good number" of anti-air missiles.

The video published on November 20th by a pro-militant television network shows members of the group testing SA-7 Strela-2 anti-aircraft missiles.

CIA-approved weapons transfers to militant groups included wire-guided anti-tank missiles - said to be delivered to counter Syrian army gains against organizations backed by the US and its Gulf allies.

In July, Syrian soldiers raided a weapons dump in Aleppo and seized US and French-made anti-tank launchers and missiles.

The raid followed the publication of an in-depth report on a €1.2 billion, US-approved transfer of weapons through Eastern Europe and Turkey, with the support of Saudi Arabia and other regional allies.

The unprecedented flow of weapons is reported by the New York Times to have begun in 2012 and involved Croatia making available huge stocks of arms and ammunition to four countries supporting the opposition in Syria.

An expert's comments on the downing of a Russian helicopter three months ago, cited the transfer of weapons through Turkey, such anti-aircraft weapons such as MANPADs and TOW [Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided] anti-tank missiles.

US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, recently told Reuters that the US government may lift the ban on the transfer of anti-air weapons to militant groups in Syria, as Barack Obama's presidency draws to a close.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team