Syrian aircraft travels from Iran to Russian airbase to avoid Israeli strikes
▻https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/syrian-aircraft-travels-from-iran-to-russian-airbase-to-avoid-israeli-
https://www.almasdarnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/800px-Syrianair_Ilyushin_Il-76T_Ryabtsev.jpg For the second time in two weeks, an aircraft flying from Iran to Syria has landed at the Russian Hmeimim Airbase in southwestern Latakia.
According to a report from the Latakia Governorate, a Syrian cargo plane traveled from the Iranian capital to the Hmeimim Airbase, where they later unloaded without fear of an Israeli warplane bombing their positions.
A source in Damascus, Syria’s capital city, told Al-Masdar News that the reason for landing at the Hmeimim Airbase is to avoid airstrikes, which have previously targeted the Damascus International Airport.
Israel has made it no secret that they are watching Iran’s every step in Syria, as they have repeatedly struck the Islamic Republic’s forces and their paramilitary allies across the Levantine nation, with some attacks even targeting neighboring Iraq.
For Syria, these deliveries are incredibly important, especially when it has to do with military supplies and humanitarian aid.
It’s not clear what Israel’s plan will be if these flights continue, as they have run into some issues with Russia in the past over their airstrikes near the Hmeimim Airbase.
On September 17th, 2018, an Israeli F-16 used a Russian reconnaissance aircraft to avoid a Syrian anti-aircraft missile; this resulted in the downing of the Russian plane and the death of several military personnel.
In response to this incident, the Russian Ministry of Defense delivered to Syria on October 1st, 2018, their S-300 air defense system.