Two Israeli Warplanes Attack Syrian Airbase

The Russian Defense Ministry has stated that it had been two Israeli warplanes that had attacked the Syrian government T-4 airbase in Homs province early on Monday.

"On April 9, from 03:25 to 03:53 Moscow time, two Israeli Air Force F-15 jets, carried out an airstrike by two guided missiles on the T-4 airfield from the Lebanese territory and without entering Syria's airspace."

Five out of eight strikes, carried out by the Israeli F-15 jets, were intercepted by Syrian air defenses, the ministry said, Sputnik reported.

"Three missiles reached the western part of the airfield. There are no Russian [military] advisers among those injured."

While the Israeli authorities have refrained so far from commenting on the incident, the regime's air force had bombed the same airbase in Homs province back in February.

When asked by Sputnik, the Israeli embassy in Russia refused to comment on the Russian Defense Ministry's data about the strikes on the Syrian airbase. "No comments," diplomatic mission's press attaché Alex Gandler told Sputnik.

The Israeli Defense Forces have also refused to either approve or deny the statements made by the Russian Defense Ministry about the Israeli Air Force's involvement in the strikes, with IDF spokesman Jonathan Conricus telling Sputnik, "We do not comment on this."

***Call for Explanations

Russian defense and foreign ministries have requested Israel to provide explanations for its airstrikes on the Syrian military facility, Russian Senator and former FSB general Vladimir Jabarov said.

TV channel Al-Mayadeen reported that an Israeli spy plane had been spotted over the base the moment of the April 9 strike.

Earlier in the day, Syria's SANA state news agency reported a missile strike on the T-4 airbase, suggesting that the US might have been behind the attack. The Pentagon, however, denied any involvement, saying that it has not conducted any airstrikes in Syria. It was also stated that Syrian Air Defense Force managed to intercept several rockets, although the strike caused casualties.

According to Al Mayadeen broadcaster, after the attack, the self-styled Islamic State terrorists attempted to launch an offensive in several districts of the Homs province.

The attack comes just a day after the US, the EU, as well as NATO member Turkey, accused the Syrian government of using chemical weapons in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, after media reports, citing militant sources on the ground, about an alleged chlorine gas attack that, supposedly, killed dozens of civilians, had emerged. Damascus has strongly denied the claims, saying that it had warned that militants in the area had been preparing a provocation, involving chemical weapons' use.