Damascus Warns Tel Aviv of 'More Surprises' in Syria
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Syrian government said on Tuesday that Israel would face “more surprises” in future attacks on Syria’s territory, after Syrian air defenses shot down an Israeli F-16 jet.
Syrian anti-aircraft fire downed the F-16 as it returned from a bombing raid on positions in Syria early on Saturday.
“Have full confidence the aggressor will be greatly surprised because it thought this war - this war of attrition Syria has been exposed to for years - had made it incapable of confronting attacks,” assistant foreign minister Ayman Sussan said, Reuters reported.
“God willing they will see more surprises whenever they try to attack Syria,” Sussan said during a Damascus news conference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces would press ahead with Syria operations despite their loss of the advanced warplane, the first it has lost to enemy fire in 36 years.
In Kiryat Shmona on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman told reporters, “There are no limitations (on military operations), and nor do we accept any limitations ... We will respond to every provocation.”
In the past few years, Israel has frequently attacked targets in Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up remnants of terrorists that have been suffering heavy defeats in their fight against Syrian government forces.
