Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov:“All the Russian combat helicopters in the Syrian Arab Republic are performing planned missions aimed at elimination of terrorists.The personnel of the Russian airbase have not suffered any losses.It is to be reminded that the rumours concerning the alleged elimination of a Russian helicopter unit and 20 trucks have been spread by ISIS propagandists who tried to “sell” the “news” about 10 days ago.As for photographs of the Syrian airbase: the burnt aviation and automobile hardware as well as numerous craters made by reactive projectiles have been observed there for a number of months. They have resulted from heavy combats for the airfield between the Syrian government troops and insurgents of terrorist formations.Getting to the heart of the matter, apparently, the spreading of such information is to be considered as a quote unquote contribution of our partners to the fight against the international terrorism.”Earlier, a number of leading American media agencies have published information referring to the private intelligence company «Stratfor» concerning the alleged elimination of a Russian helicopter unit and 20 trucks near Tiasa (Homs province).
Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov: (...)As for photographs of the Syrian airbase: the burnt aviation and automobile hardware as well as numerous craters made by reactive projectiles have been observed there for a number of months.
(...)Konashenkov (...) stresses that "the authorship of rumors about the destruction of Russian combat helicopters and truck belongs to IS agitators (...)Meanwhile Russia's RIA Novosti reported, citing a source at the T4 airbase, that the helicopters were damaged as a result of a fire at the airfield."The cause of the fire is unknown. It began nearly the area where the four helicopters were stationed, with firetrucks unable to get close to the epicenter of the blaze due to a sudden mortar attack by terrorists . The flame quickly spread to helicopters", the source told the agency.
The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham’s offensive at the T-4 Military Airport finally ended on Friday after the Syrian Arab Army’s 525th Regiment of the 18th Tank Division recaptured several sites at the northern flank of this base in east Homs.
Militant fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) on Wednesday pounded the regime’s T4 airbase in eastern Homs, central Syria, with heavy artillery shells and rockets, local sources reported.
