Passenger Plane Makes Emergency Landing after Dodging Syrian Air Defenses

Arab World

February 7th, 8:50am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A passenger plane narrowly escaped bein shot by Syrian anti-aircraft fire. (AP)

A passenger plane carrying 172 passengers from Tehran to Damascus made an emergency landing at the Russian-controlled Hmeimim air base on Thursday after coming under fire from Syrian air defenses, Russia’s defense ministry said on Friday. The Russian army on Friday accused Israel of using the civilian plane as a shield against the Syrian anti-aircraft fire while carrying out air strikes near Damascus. Israel's air force hit targets in the capital area at dawn on Thursday sparking a Syrian riposte, Russia's defense ministry said in a statement. "At the time of the attack by Israeli planes... an Airbus-320 airliner was on approach to landing... in the death zone of air strikes and artillery," it said. The "quick reaction" of air traffic controllers at Damascus airport enabled the A320 to leave the zone "which was in the firing line of Syrian anti-aircraft defense systems." "The recourse to civilian aircraft as cover or to block a riposte by Syrian forces during military air operations has become characteristic of the Israeli air force," the ministry charged. Israeli radars have "a clear view of the situation in the skies around Damascus airport," the Russian army said, accusing Israel of "making a total mockery of the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians". The Syrian defense ministry said on Thursday it had intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets in southern Syria. Israel has declined to comment. The Airbus A320 had been coming into land at Damascus International Airport when it was forced to divert to the nearest alternative airfield, the Hmeimim air base. The incident took place a month after a Boeing 737-800 operated by Ukraine International Airlines crashed shortly after take-off from Tehran, killing all 176 people on board. Iran later said it had been shot down unintentionally due to human error. Thursday's Israeli strikes killed 23 Syrian and foreign fighters, a monitoring group said. Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Syria since the war erupted in 2011, mainly targeting regime forces and their Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2119701/passenger-plane-makes-emergency-landing-after-dodging-syrian-air-defenses