Russian military denies IS destroyed its helicopters

Moscow, May 25 (IANS) The Russian Defence Ministry has denied reports that Islamic State militants destroyed four Russian helicopters at an air base in Syria’s Homs province.

“All Russian combat helicopters currently stationed in the Syrian Arab Republic, are performing routine tasks destroying terrorists. There have been no losses among the personnel of the Russian air base there,” Defence Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov said in an official statement on Tuesday, reported RT online.

Stratfor, a private intelligence and analytical company, previously reported that Russian helicopters and supply trucks were destroyed in an Islamic State attack, basing the data on a comparative analysis of satellite images of the T4 airbase in Homs province.

The Syrian Air Force base, according to Stratfor, had been used by Russian helicopters which were providing support to government troops during fighting for the liberation of Palmyra.

On May 14, IS announced that four Russian attack helicopters and 20 supplies trucks were destroyed by fire. Around the same time, according to Stratfor, Syrian government sources reported “random explosions” in the T4 base area.

The analysis of satellite images taken on May 14 and 17 prompted the intelligence company to conclude that four helicopters were actually destroyed at the base, as well as trucks, with a Syrian MiG-25 also being damaged. Stratfor claims that the nature of the damage seen in the satellite images indicates that the base fell under attack.

Konashenkov, however, stresses that “the authorship of rumors about the destruction of Russian combat helicopters and trucks belongs to IS agitators, who unsuccessfully tried to sell this alleged news some 10 days ago.”

Concerning the pictures of the Syrian air base, the Defence Ministry representative noted that “burned aircraft and automotive electronics, as well as numerous craters from missile explosions have been there for more than one month” and are the result of heavy fighting in the airfield area between the Syrian government troops and terrorists.”