Russian-made Air Defense System Thwarts Israeli Airstrike In Syria, Destroys 6 Of 8 IDF Missiles

An illustration of a Pantsir-S1 shooting. (Source: Serbian Armed Forces/Darimir Banda, Mc Odbrana)

JAKARTA - The defense system made by Russia has succeeded in making the Israeli military Air Force (IDF) attack fail to produce a devastating effect in Syria, after the majority of the missiles fired were destroyed.

Two Syrian soldiers were injured and material damage occurred in Israeli airstrikes targeting sites along the Syrian coast, as well as in the center of the country last Monday, November 8, with Syrian air defenses responding to the attacks, according to Syria's state news agency SANA.

Deputy head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Parties in Syria Vadim Kulit said the Russian-made Buk-M2 and Pantsir-S air defense systems used by the Syrian army successfully destroyed six of the eight missiles launched by Israeli warplanes in the attack.

"Between 20:16 and 20:23 on November 8, six Israeli air force F-15 tactical warplanes violated the state border of the Syrian Arab Republic from northern Lebanese airspace and launched eight guided missiles at logistical and military support," he quoted TASS as saying. November 10.

"The Syrian armed forces facility in Homs Province, Syrian air defense units destroyed six of the missiles using the Russian-made Buk-M2 and Pantsir-S air defense systems used by the Syrian armed forces," he continued.

According to Russian defense officials, Israeli air strikes inflicted minor damage on the ground, two Syrian servicemen were injured.

Earlier, the Syrian news agency SANA reported on November 8, Israeli air force planes struck several targets in the central and coastal areas of Syria. According to the agency, the Syrian Arab Republic's air defense forces "repelled enemy missiles, shooting down most of them."

This is not the first time Russia's air defense system has successfully brought down Israeli missiles in Syria. Previously, the Syrian anti-aircraft defense system claimed to have successfully intercepted an Israeli military air strike in the Qusair area of Homs Province, according to Syrian state media Thursday, July 22 local time.

In an air strike a few days earlier in Aleppo, Russian defense systems also managed to bring down Israeli missiles. In total from the two attacks in July, 11 of the 12 missiles fired by the Israeli military were brought down by the Russian-made Buk-M2 and Pantsir-S air defense systems.