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Figting continues in several cities in Syria as rebels allegedly downed Syrian warplane 0610122

Defense News - Syria

Saturday, October 6, 2012, 11:28 AM

Figting continues in several cities in Syria as rebels allegedly downed Syrian warplane.

Fighting continued Friday, October 5, 2012, in a number of hotpots across Syria, most notably in suburbs of the capital Damascus, where activists claimed the rebels have downed a military airplane. Pro-government media said the Syrian troops have advanced in rooting out insurgency from the Damascus' suburb of Qudsiah and Hameh. The troops started their operations in those affected areas on Friday after a week thick with violence and tensions there.

Members of the Free Syrian Army armed with Russian-made SA-7 Grail man portable air defense missile system (MANPADS) are seen at Al-Atarb, near Aleppo September 24, 2012. The SA-7 Grail is is able to destroy all aerial targets flying at low altitude such as combat helicopters, low-flying fighter aircraft and UAV.

Meanwhile, activists claimed the rebels have downed a Syrian warplane over the eastern al-Ghouta area near Damascus on Friday, October 5, 2012.

A photo release on Internet shows that Free Syrian army fighters are equipped now with Russian-made portable air defense missile system SA-7 Grail MANPADS. The SA-7a Grail has an effective range range from 800 m to 3.2 km and a kill zone between 15 and 1500 meters in altitude, with a speed of about 430 meters per second (Mach 1.4).

The SA-7 Grail is is able to destroy all aerial targets flying at low altitude such as combat helicopters, low-flying fighter aircraft and UAV.

A number of warplanes have been allegedly downed by the armed rebels recently, in a sign of how resourceful the armed opposition has become.

Meanwhile, activists also reported unprecedented airstrikes on restive areas in central Homs province.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said aircraft and artillery targeted the neighborhood of Khaldiya and also on the districts of Old Homs, such as Qusour and Jourat al- Shayah.

The Observatory said a big explosion was heard near the Kawkab village in the central province of Hama, adding that the area groups many government checkpoints. It gave no further details on casualties or material losses.