The Syrian Army and Hezbollah have reportedly been given orders by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to shoot down any foreign planes flying over Syria airspace.
Assad’s troop and Hezbollah are fighting together against the Syrian Rebels, who range from secular freedom fighters, to Al Quida, and ultimately ISIS.
Assad is supported by Iran and Russia.
The threat seems to be directed specifically at the United States which may be planning to attack Daash (ISIS) inside Syria, by air.
US President Obama said he would be authorizing US airstrikes against ISIS, within Syria. Last year, Obama threatened to bomb Syria by air, but then back pedaled.
The threat to shoot down foreign airplanes is more likely coming from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin rather than Assad. Syria is one of Russia’s last footholds in the Middle East, and it is important to Russia that Assad survive as a viable client.
According to the BBC, a Russian foreign ministry spokesman said any US air strike, without the backing of the UN, would be “an act of aggression”.
If you weren’t confused enough by who is on whose side, it’s the non-ISIS rebels that are welcoming a US strike against the Daash Islamic terrorists, as they recognize ISIS to be as big a threat to them as Assad is.
In the past, Israel has reportedly flown into Syrian airspace with impunity, when it needs to safeguard its security interests.
It is unlikely the threat was directed at Israel, and even if it was, Israel would ignore it if needed.