[Telegraph-UK] Adrian Blomfield - Abandoned Hizballah positions in Lebanon Monday revealed conclusive evidence that Syria and Iran provided the anti-tank missiles that blunted the power of Israel's armor. Outside a mosque in Ghandouriyeh, east of Tyre, a van was found filled with green casings about 6 feet long. The serial numbers identified them as AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank missiles. The wire-guided weapon was developed in Russia but Iran began making a copy in 2000. At a Hizballah outpost lay eight Kornet anti-tank rockets. Written on each casing were the words: "Customer: Ministry of Defense of Syria. Supplier: KBP, Tula, Russia." The Kornet, unveiled by Russia in 1994, is laser-guided, has a range of three miles, and carries a double warhead capable of penetrating the reactive armor on Israeli Merkava tanks. Russia started supplying them to Syria in 1998.
2006-08-15 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive