Special to WorldTribune.com

NICOSIA — Syria, amid the intensification of the Sunni revolt, has
held a military exercise.

The regime of President Bashar Assad reported a military exercise on
Dec. 4 in eastern Syria. A Syrian government statement said the exercise was
meant to test Assad’s huge Scud-class missile arsenal in any war.

“Syrian missile forces on Sunday carried out a practical project with live ammunition under war-like circumstances with the aim of testing the missile weaponry in confronting any attack,” the official Syrian news agency, Sana, said.

The government statement said the Syrian Army, in an exercise attended by Defense Minister Abdullah Rajiha, fired at least one Scud B ballistic missile, with a range of 300 kilometers toward Iraq. The statement said the Army also fired 600mm and 300mm missiles, with ranges of 200 and 150 kilometers, respectively.

This marked the first reported military exercise in Syria since the Sunni revolt against Assad began in March. The United Nations has reported that more than 4,000 people were killed by Assad forces as well as in clashes between rebels and the military. Turkey has warned that it could intervene to stop Assad attacks on the rebels.

“The missile forces performed the project with accuracy and achieved
distinctive results,” the Syrian statement said.

The exercise was also said to have included maneuvers by helicopters,
fighter-jets and main battle tanks. Footage showed rockets being fired from
truck-mounted launchers.

“The performance of the missile forces showed high spirits which
represented the ability of the Syrian missile forces to defend the
homeland,” the official Syrian news agency, Sana, said.

  Abdullah Rajiha, Bashar Assad, Scud B, Sunni revolt, Syria’s military takes time out from fighting rebel forces to conduct a missile exercise, Syrian Army