Iran hiding weapons, military equipment inside earthquake relief material to Syria

Damascus: Iran reportedly sent deadly weapons and military equipment in Syria hidden along with relief materials in the flights during earthquake rescue mission, sources based in Syria, Iran, Israel and Western countries told Reuters. According to the Reuters’ source based exclusive report, the objective was to support Bashar al-Assad in Syria and enhance Iran’s defences against Israel. Hundreds of flights carrying goods from Iran started landing at Syria’s Aleppo, Damascus, and Latakia airports after the earthquake that struck northern Syria and Turkey on February 6 in which more than more than 6,000 people died in Syria alone. According to a Western intelligence source, Iranian flights started entering Syria since the earthquake on February 6. “We believe that Iranian militias have transferred huge quantities of ammunition - they have restocked quantities lost in prior Israeli drone strikes,” the source added. The rescue mission continued for seven weeks, meaning the weapons kept coming, it is still unclear how big were those consignments. According to two regional sources and a Western intelligence source, the supplies included cutting-edge communications gear, radar batteries, and replacement components needed for a planned upgrade of Syria’s air defence system supplied by Iran during its civil war. For this report, Reuters consulted Western intelligence officials, sources close to the Iranian and Israeli governments, a Syrian military defector, and an active-duty Syrian officer. Iran’s envoy to the United Nations in New York responded, “That’s not true,” when questioned about the claims of transporting military material to Syria to strengthen its network there and support Assad. The Reuters also tried to get a comment from government of Syria, however no response receieved. Israel’s response According to regional officials cited by Reuters, Israel launched an aggressive counterattack after learning promptly about the movement of weapons into Syria. Israeli air strikes against the shipments relied on intelligence so precise that Israel’s military knew which truck in a lengthy convoy to target, according to Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser, an insider and former head of research in the Israel army as well as the general director of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs. According to a senior Israeli defence officer who requested anonymity and spoke to Reuters, “Israel has seen significant movements of military equipment from Iran, mostly transported in parts, under the guise of shipments of earthquake aid to Syria.” He claimed that the Aleppo airport in northern Syria received the majority of the help. He said that the Unit 18000 Syrian division of the Quds Force, the overseas espionage and paramilitary branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards directed by Hassan Mehdoui, was responsible for organising the shipments. He stated the Transport Unit 190 of the Quds Force, under the command of Bahanem Shahariri, was in charge of ground transportation. Colonel Abduljabbar Akaidi, a former member of the Syrian military who still has connections in the army, claimed that Israeli strikes also “targeted a meeting of Iranian militia commanders and shipments of electronic chips to upgrade weapons systems.” Akaidi omitted to mention the location of the meeting. According to a regional source, Israel struck Aleppo’s runway just hours after two Iranian cargo planes had arrived with arms shipments while pretending to be carrying assistance supplies. This information was corroborated by two additional Western intelligence sources. A few days prior to President Assad’s arrival, Brigadier General Esmail Qaani of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force was the first foreign official to enter the earthquake zone in Syria. In the event of a humanitarian crisis, U.N. relief aircraft are permitted to ask local authorities for permission to land, and humanitarian aid is free from penalties. Given this, the authorities have given the go-ahead for direct flights from Iran and Russia to land in Syria. “The earthquake was a terrible tragedy, but at the same time, God enabled us to aid our Syrian brothers in their struggle against their adversaries. As soon as possible, tonnes of weapons were transferred to Syria, according to a local source close to Iran’s clerical leadership. Why Bashar al-Assad? Since starting to help Assad in the civil conflict that started in 2011, Israel has been conducting attacks against what it has referred to as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran’s influence has expanded. Israeli efforts to destroy Iran in Syria are increasing up, according to a Syrian army official who begged to remain anonymous. The source claimed that the earthquake produced the ideal circumstances. The ensuing confusion made it simple for Iranian jets to land. Following additional earthquakes on April 3, Israeli targets have included weaponry in the Jabal Manea Kiswa mountain range south of Damascus, where Iranian troops and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have built what is likely their most heavily fortified military site in Syria, according to two Western intelligence sources and a regional security source. The regional source confirmed what two Western intelligence sources had told Reuters that a drone radar site had also been targeted on April 3. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.