Airstrike in Syria killed 17; Russia has tested Kinzhal hypersonic missiles; Israeli aircraft strikes armed Gaza

By TOC On Dec 18, 2019

PANAGYURISHTE, (BM) – Your briefly report on December 18 in last twelve hours from BulgarianMilitary.com:

Syria: Regime airstrikes kill 17 in rebel-held northwest

Syrian government and Russian airstrikes killed at least 17 people on Tuesday in rebel-held northwestern Syria in a spike in casualties from relentless daily strikes in recent months, witnesses and rescuers said, reports Reuters.

The northwest corner of the country, including the Idlib region, is the last significant swathe of Syrian territory still in insurgent hands after eight and a half years of war.

Russia, which has backed President Bashar al-Assad against rebels and Islamist militants, and Turkey, long a supporter of rebels, co-sponsored a conflict “de-escalation” deal for the area earlier this year that has since faltered.

Two members of local rescue services said at least four people were killed and scores hurt when aerial bombs fell on a major market in the rural town of Maasran. Another six civilians lost their lives when the town of Bdama was hit, they said.

Russian General Staff confirms Kinzhal missile was test-launched in the Arctic

Russia has test-fired Kinzhal hypersonic missiles in the Arctic, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov told foreign military attaches on Tuesday.

“Tasks on Kinzhal hypersonic missile system’s combat duty are being practiced. Those missiles were test-launched on training ranges in different climate conditions, including in the Arctic,” Gerasimov was quoted by the Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper as saying.

He added that the aerodrome network is being developed to expand the areas for operating the newest missile system.

Sources in the defense industry told TASS earlier that the MiG-31K interceptor aircraft test-fired the Kinzhal missile in the Russian Arctic at the Pemboy training range (located to the north-east of Vorkuta) for the first time in mid-November.

Israeli aircraft strikes armed Gazan approaching border

An Israeli aircraft on Tuesday fired at an armed Palestinian who approached the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the military said.

“A hit was identified,” a statement from the Israel Defense Forces said.

The military said the Palestinian was spotted by IDF observation posts as he neared the security fence in southern Gaza.

There was no immediate word from authorities in the Hamas-run Strip on the Palestinian suspect’s condition.

Footage of the incident, which was later distributed by the IDF, showed the suspect approaching the security fence armed with what appears to be an assault rifle. The video ends before the airstrike.

In the West Bank, the army said it shot a Palestinian man throwing a Molotov cocktail at Israeli vehicles along a road near Bethlehem, injuring him, the army says.

Follow us everywhere and at any time. BulgarianMilitary.com has responsive design and you can open the page from any computer, mobile devices or web browsers. For more up-to-date news from us, follow our YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages. Do not miss the chance to subscribe to our newsletter. Subscribe and read our stories in News360App in AppStore or GooglePlay or in FeedlyApp in AppStore or GooglePlay

>>Be a reporter: Write and send your article.<<

BulgarianMilitary.com
Editorial team
Source: TASS, TTI, MEMO