Israeli Army on high alert amid a possible United States air strike against Syria 2908134

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Defence & Security News - Israel

 
 
Thursday, August 29, 2013 11:42 AM
 
Israeli Army on high alert amid a possible United States air strike against Syria.
The Israeli military is on high alert amid a possible U.S. strike on Syria, which may result in a Syrian missiles attack against Israel. A military source on Wednesday, August 28, 21013, confirmed to Xinhua unauthorized reports in the Israeli and Arab media, according to which Patriot anti-aircraft batteries were deployed in the northern city of Haifa and other spots in northern Israel, as well as in central Israel.
     
The Israeli military is on high alert amid a possible U.S. strike on Syria, which may result in a Syrian missiles attack against Israel. A military source on Wednesday, August 28, 21013, confirmed to Xinhua unauthorized reports in the Israeli and Arab media, according to which Patriot anti-aircraft batteries were deployed in the northern city of Haifa and other spots in northern Israel, as well as in central Israel.
Photo taken on Aug. 28, 2013 shows the anti-aircraft batteries of Israeli Army near the northern town of Tiberias in northern Israel.
     
The source could not specify how many Patriot batteries were deployed, yet noted that the state of alert level in the Aerial Defense units has been stepped up amid the mounting tensions with the civil-war stricken Syria.

The Israeli security cabinet approved on Wednesday a limited draft of military reservists, amid the growing tensions surrounding a possible U.S. strike on Syria, which may lead to Syrian launching missiles toward Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, a military source confirmed that anti-aircraft and anti-missile batteries were stationed at several locations in northern Israel and in central Israel.

An Israeli Air Force officer told the Channel 10 news that the recently deployed Patriot batteries, a surface-to-air batteries able to intercept ballistic missiles were stationed next to " strategic sites" and major population centers, aimed to fully protect Israeli communities from possible missile attacks.

In addition to the anti-aircraft and missiles batteries, Israeli Air Force has enhanced its intelligence gathering efforts above Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria.

The Israeli security cabinet, consisting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and several other top ministers, convened on Wednesday morning to discuss the situation in Syria.

The ministers were presented with several possible courses of action to be taken by Syrian President Bashar Assad in case the United States will strike.

On Tuesday, following another meeting of the security cabinet, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is " ready for any scenario."