Report: Russia Assures Israel No Arms Transferred to Hizbullah

by Naharnet Newsdesk 02 February 2016, 08:39

Russia has assured Israel that it has not transferred arms to Hizbullah as part of its military operations in Syria, Israel’s ambassador to Moscow said.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, Ambassador Zvi Heifetz told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that Moscow’s claim was sparked by an international media report asserting that Russia was supplying arms to Hizbullah.

Last month, The Daily Beast quoted Hizbullah field commanders as saying that they are receiving heavy weapons directly from Russia.

The commanders reportedly claimed there was full coordination between the Assad regime in Damascus, Iran, Hizbullah, and Russia.

But the Russian Ambassador in Tel Aviv stressed that the authorities in Moscow conducted an internal investigation of the issue and verified that no arms were passed from Russian troops in Syria to Hizbullah, Haaretz quoted a unnamed lawmaker as saying.

Since Russia began an air campaign in Syria four months ago backing President Bashar Assad's troops, government forces have taken dozens of towns and villages under cover of Russian airstrikes.

https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/201052