Chicago (EJP) Putin on Sunday 02-09-23 condemned an airstrike blamed on Israel that killed five people and injured 15 in Syria’s capital Damascus the previous night.
Putin, a key backer of the Syrian regime in the over decade-long civil war, called the Saturday night attack on the Kafar Sousah neighborhood in Damascus a “flagrant violation” of international law.
Israel’s need to coordinate with Russia — which largely controls Syrian airspace — to carry out strikes has been cited as a chief reason for Jerusalem’s reluctance to supply Kyiv with weaponry amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Israel has found itself at odds with Russia as it increasingly supported Ukraine while seeking to maintain freedom of movement in Syria’s skies.
“We strongly urge the Israeli side to stop armed provocations against the Syrian Arab Republic and refrain from steps that are fraught with dangerous consequences for the entire region,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, according to Reuters.
There was no comment from the Israel Defense Forces, in line with its policy of not generally commenting on air raids in Syria. Israeli officials have previously said the IDF does not target civilians and seeks to avoid damage to residential areas as much as possible.
Syria’s state news agency SANA reported that the strike in Kafar Sousah killed four civilians and one soldier, and wounded another 15 civilians. It said several of those wounded were listed in critical condition.
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