As the Russian Defense Ministry said earlier,
an attack by thirteen combat drones against the Hmeymim and Tartus bases was
repelled.
MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Russian forces remaining in Syria are strong
enough to repel militants’ attacks, but more intensive political settlement
efforts are required, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the
media on Tuesday, when asked if the militants’ attack against the Hmeymim air
base with the use of drones was evidence the pullout of the Russian contingent
from Syria had been premature.
"The remaining contingent and military infrastructure at Hmeymim and Tartus have the necessary capabilities to counter sporadic terrorist hit-and-run raids, which will regrettably continue. This merely emphasizes the need for stepping up political settlement efforts," Peskov said.
"The remaining contingent and military infrastructure at Hmeymim and Tartus have the necessary capabilities to counter sporadic terrorist hit-and-run raids, which will regrettably continue. This merely emphasizes the need for stepping up political settlement efforts," Peskov said.
He recalled
that in making the decision to pull out its military personnel from Syria
"Russia proceeded from the assumption there are no grounds for conducting
major offensive operations."
"Everybody,
including the president, were aware that terrorists’ attacks would not come to
an end overnight, but will continue," he added.
The attack
As the
Russian Defense Ministry said earlier, in the small hours of Saturday, January
6, an attack by thirteen combat drones on the Hmeymim and Tartus bases was
repelled. Seven drones were shot down and six others put under control and
forced to land in an area held by Russian military personnel. Data retrieved
from the intercepted drones were decoded and the place where they had been
launched was established.
"The
fact that extremists use combat drones indicates that the militants have
obtained technologies enabling them to stage terrorist attacks with the use of
such aircraft in any country," the Defense Ministry warned.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin on December 6, 2017 declared the complete defeat of
the Islamic State on both banks of the Euphrates in Syria and on December 11 he
issued orders to start the pullout of Russian forces from Syria. On December 22
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said the pullout of Russian forces from Syria
had been completed. Three military police battalions, the reconciliation center
and the bases at Hmeymim and Tartus remain.
Source: ITAR-TASS 09-01-2018
