Russia blames Israel for airstrike on Iranian base in Syria

Russian military says Syria intercepted five of eight Israeli missiles. Iranians among killed in the strike, monitor says. Israel bombed the site before

Two Israeli F-15 bombers launched airstrikes on Syrian airbase near Homs Sunday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense Monday.

Russian news agency, Interfax cited the ministry as saying the Israeli warplanes had carried out the strikes from Lebanese airspace.

The Russian ministry said that Syrian air defense systems had shot down five of eight missiles fired, while the other three landed in the western part of the base.

Asked about the Russian statement, an Israeli military spokesman said he had no immediate comment.

Israel had attacked the T4 base near Homs twice in the past, destroying an Iranian drone control center and communications systems.

Earlier, Syrian state TV reported casualties in what it called a suspected U.S. missile attack on the major air base in central Syria, close to the ancient city of Palmyra.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said that 14 people were killed, including Iranian nationals.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, says most of the 14 killed were either Iranians or members of Iran-backed groups.

A Syrian military source was quoted as saying that air defenses shot down eight missiles fired at the base, where defense analysts say there are large deployments of Russian forces, and where jets fly regular sorties to strike rebel-held areas.

"An aggression was perpetrated on T4 air base in several strikes that is most likely to be an American attack," state television said in a news flash.

The U.S. Pentagon said it was not conducting airstrikes in Syria "at this time," formally denying the Syrian state television report.

Al-Manar TV station of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which is fighting in Syria alongside the government forces, described the attack as an "Israeli aggression."

Israel has struck Syrian army locations many times in the course of the conflict, hitting convoys and bases of Iranian-backed militias that fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.

In February, Israel struck the T4 air base after the infiltration of an Iranian drone into Israeli airspace. The strikes by Israel took out the batteries that fired missiles at its fighter jets and also hit Iranian targets, including the drone control center and communications systems. In March 2017, following another strike, Israel's Arrow system intercepted Syrian air defenses missiles that were shot at Israeli jets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a "tense" phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump last week, according to two White House officials.

The conversation revolved around Netanyahu's concerns that the U.S. will withdraw from Syria and allow Israel's enemies, Iran and its affiliated militias, to gain a further foothold in the neighbouring country, said the officials.

A White House statement released following the call said Netanyahu and Trump spoke about "recent developments in the Middle East," and that the president "reiterated the commitment of the United States to Israel’s security and the two leaders agreed to continue their close coordination on countering Iran’s malign influence and destabilizing activities."

Trump said earlier on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" after medical aid groups reported dozens of civilians, including many children and women, were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town.

The United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base a year ago in response to the killing of dozens of civilians in a sarin gas attack in an opposition-held town in northwest Syria. The gas attack was blamed on Assad.

The U.S. missile strike was against a Syrian air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike.

The French army said France did not stage the attack on the Syrian base, AFP reported. The denial comes following a conversation between Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in which the two leaders agreed to "coordinate a strong, joint response" to the chemical attack in Syria.

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack.

Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports fake.

The UN Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the chemical attack.