Photo: RIA Novosti
It is for the first time that Israel has used its state -of-the art submarine fleet to hit a facility on Syria’s territory.
According to today’s issue of “The Sunday Times” of London, in the early hours of July 5th, the Dolphin-class submarine fired medium-range missiles which destroyed the ammunition depots near the port of Latakia in Syria, located on the Mediterranean Sea.
According to “The Sunday Times”, 50 Russian-made “Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles which Russia had supplied to Syria, came under fire as a result.
Judging by the facts, the Israeli attack was carried out in close coordination with the USA, the newspaper says. Some time ago Israel received the Dolphin-class submarines from Germany.
According to “The Sunday Times”, now the Israeli Navy has 5 Dolphin-class submarines.
The latter are equipped with US Harpoon missiles, which are armed with nuclear warheads and which have a range of 130 kilometres.
The latest attack was the fourth in succession, which Israel has carried out to hit the targets on Syria’s territory over the past 2 years, “The Sunday Times” says.
Earlier warplanes were involved in similar attacks.
Israeli airstrike targeted Russian-made missiles in Syrian Latakia – report
Several blasts that took place on July 5 at a critical Syrian port was the result of airstrikes by Israeli fighter jets, multiple US officials said. Friday’s CNN report cited three unnamed US officials as saying that the airstrikes targeted Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles.
No one had officially claimed responsibility for the explosions at Latakia, in Syria’s north.
Israel’s government has also declined to comment on the allegations.
The Yakhont is a cruise missile with a range of 300 kilometers, capable of delivering a warhead weighing in at 250 kilograms.
Russia supplied Syria’s armed forces with a Yakhont missile battery in 2011.
Russia denies S-300 delivery to Syria
Russia has not yet delivered any S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Syria, a foreign ministry spokesman said Monday.
“We take our responsibilities very seriously,” stressed Alexander Lukashevich of the Russian foreign office. “And we would never do anything that would be considered a violation of international rules,” he added.
Mr. Lukashevich said the contract to supply the Syrian regime with S-300 missile systems was signed long ago but has not been fulfilled as of yet.
Israel concerned about prospects of S300 missiles supplies to Syria: ‘They may fall into the wrong hands’ – Israel’s deputy FM
Israel is seriously concerned about the prospects of the S300 missiles supplies to Syria as it may fall into the wrong hands, said the deputy foreign minister of Israel, Ze’ev Elkin, today.
“The weapons, which in Russia are supposed to be defensive, turn into offensive ones in the Middle East. When such a system is deployed in Damascus, it covers nearly the entire territory of Israel, that is, it can shoot down any passenger plane,” added Mr Elkin.
According to him, given the unstable situation in Syria, “who knows who will get their hands on them (the weapons). “This explains Israel’s deep concerns,” underscored the deputy foreign minister. “I hope Russia understood our stance on this issue.”
Voice of Russia, Interfax,TASS, RIA, CNN, Haaretz, RT