‘Israel’ Uses Civilian Flight Coming From Tehran as Shield to Raid Damascus

By Staff, Agencies

A Zionist airstrike, carried out as Syrian troops were liberating the terrorist-held town of Saraqib in northwestern Idlib province, endangered a civilian flight carrying 172 passengers, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

Defense Ministry Spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said Friday the civil Airbus-320 was heading to Damascus from the Iranian capital early Thursday when it was forced to divert its route as Damascus’ air defenses were intercepting ‘Israeli’ missiles.

The plane made an emergency landing in the Hmeimim air base in Syria's western coastal province of Lattakia.

“Only due to timely actions of the Damascus airport dispatchers and the efficient operation of the automated air traffic control system, the Airbus-320 managed to… successfully land at the closest alternative airfield,” Konashenkov said.

The spokesman stressed that the ‘Israeli’ enemy was well aware of civilian flights around Damascus and that such missions demonstrated the regime's reckless disregard for human lives.

"The ‘Israeli’ general staff's use of passenger jets as a cover for its military operations or as a shield from Syrian missile system fire is becoming a typical trait of ‘Israeli’ air force," he said.

Russia had previously warned that the Zionist airstrikes against Damascus were endangering civilian jets.