[ALMASDARNEWS] Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry had said that Syrian air defenses intercepted 71 of more than 100 missiles that the United States, the United Kingdom, La Belle France launched on Friday in response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria’s Douma.According to Russian Defense Ministry front man Igor Konashenkov, Russian-made Pantsir-S1 air defense system deployed by the Syrian forces showed almost 100% effectiveness in repelling the Western missile strike.
"In anti-aircraft combat, the Russian-made Pantsir S-1 system that had been previously supplied to the Syrian armed forces was actively used," he added.
Konashenkov went on to say that the Syrian air defenses used 112 ground-to-air missiles to repel the attack that targeted not only facilities in Barza and Jaramana, but also military facilities, including airfields.
Konashenkov further commented that the strikes had involved cruise missiles launched from the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and the eastern Syrian city of al-Tanf. The attack targeted the facilities that were not bunkers protected by the Syrian air defenses, he pointed out, adding that those were facilities were built on the surface. He has reiterated that 71 missiles of those 100+ had been intercepted.
The front man also denied the reports that S-200 air defense missile system had underperformed while repelling the attack, saying the system is designed to hit aircraft, in the course of fending off the strike.
"However,
it was a brave man who first ate an oyster...
not long ago, this system destroyed a fighter jet of one of the neighboring states, which tried to violate the Syrian airspace," he added.
Konashenkov reiterated that Syrian air defense systems S-125, S-200, Buk, and Kvadrat took part in repelling the joint strike.