"One of our military airports in the central region was exposed to a hostile missile attack, and our air defense systems confronted the attack and prevented it from achieving its aim," Syria's official news agency, SANA, reported on Thursday night.The news agency had earlier said that sounds of explosions were heard near Dabaa airport, which lies about 20 kilometers southwest of Homs near the Lebanese border.
The jet fired two missiles from the Syrian-Lebanese border; one was shot down while the other struck an arms depot in the vicinity of the airport resulting in large fires.See also:
Preliminary information suggests that a number of casualties were transported for further medical treatment in Homs's hospital.
"As a person involved in the U.S. affairs, I cannot suppress my surprise at such ignorant and stupid remarks gushing out from the mouth of the U.S. vice-president," North Korean vice-minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Son-hui said as cited by state media on Thursday.US officials are apparently continuing with President Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" approach despite the recent relief in tensions on the Korean peninsula. On Monday, Pence said that if the North's leader Kim Jong-un tries to play Trump and fails to make a deal on its nukes, it will "only end like the Libyan model ended."
"We could surmise more than enough what a political dummy he is as he is trying to compare the DPRK, a nuclear weapon state, to Libya that had simply installed a few items of equipment and fiddled around with them."
"I was very much looking forward to being there with you. Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,"read the letter, sent a few hours after North Korea blew up its nuke testing site at Punggye-ri. The demolition was witnessed by a small pool of foreign journalists, and was considered a goodwill gesture from Kim ahead of the planned summit.
"During the last two years, the US violated the JCPOA several times, and Europe remained silent. Europe must compensate for that silence,"Khamenei said, calling for Europe to "explicitly stand up to the US sanctions."While saying Iran doesn't seek a "fight" with Europe, Khamenei noted, "these three countries have proved that, on the most sensitive issues, they follow the US."
Comment: Yet another reminder how desperately the EU needs Russian gas. Does this mean that the local providers will be permitted to sell it on and price gouge the consumer? At least Gazprom was cooperative, unlike many utility providers within the EU that routinely bilk helpless consumers and who are at their mercy by the supposed EU watchdogs: