DAMASCUS – Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad says the country’sair defense systems are fully prepared to give a firm response to anypossible act of aggression, stressing that the decision to confront anyaggressive move is long-standing.
“The Syrian air defenses are ready to thwart any attack on the Syrian soilno matter whether they were launched by Israeli, American or Turkishaircraft, or any force that seeks to damage the prestige of Syrian peopleand undermine their rights,” Mekdad told Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Manartelevision network in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
He added, “We have always stated that we are dealing with any Israeliattack according to our own agenda, and not other ones.”
Mekdad then pointed to the Damascus government’s alliance with Russia, theIslamic Republic of Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.
“We are the ones who decide when and where to respond to aggression. TheSyrian air defenses struck more than one Zionist aircraft over the occupiedGolan Heights and Palestinian territories,” the senior Syrian officialpointed out.
The Syrian deputy foreign minister pointed out that Israel must come withthe terms that Damascus is fiercely determined to emerge victorious, andthat it is gaining major achievements in the fight against terrorism andIsrael’s expansionist policies on a daily basis.link>
On Saturday, Syria’s state television, citing an unnamed Syrian militaryofficial, reported that the country’s air defense systems had struck atleast one intruding Israeli F-16 fighter aircraft.
The official added that the aircraft had targeted a Syrian army base in thecentral region of the country.
A pro-government military alliance in Syria said in a statement that Israelwould see a severe and serious response to its “terrorism” from now on.link>
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said the downing of the IsraeliF-16 warplane will establish new rules of engagement with the Tel Avivregime’s acts of aggression.
“What happened is larger than a battle and a little less than a war. Itwill create new balances and rules of engagement in the region,” Lebanon’sArabic-language newspaper al-Joumhouria quoted Berri as saying on Monday.
He added, “This event is the first of its kind in tens of years. However,no escalation is expected. Things will end here; they will not develop intoan all-out war.”