Turkey Deploys MIM-23 Hawk Missiles in Syria’s Idlib

Turkish military vehicles patrol near the Syrian town of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib, Sept. 4, 2019. (Getty Images)
Turkish military vehicles patrol near the Syrian town of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib, Sept. 4, 2019. (Getty Images)
TT

Turkey Deploys MIM-23 Hawk Missiles in Syria’s Idlib

Turkish military vehicles patrol near the Syrian town of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib, Sept. 4, 2019. (Getty Images)
Turkish military vehicles patrol near the Syrian town of Saraqeb in the northwestern province of Idlib, Sept. 4, 2019. (Getty Images)

The Turkish army deployed US-made medium-range surface-to-air MIM-23 Hawk missiles in Syria’s Idlib Idlib, satellite images showed.

Shared on social media, the images reveal the location of the air defense system in Al-Mastoumah camp, which is located five kilometers south of Idlib city.

The camp is strategically located along the Idlib-Latakia M4 Highway.

This is not the first time Ankara deploys such a defense system in Syria. In early 2018, Turkey sent the system to Dar Izza in the western Aleppo countryside.

The deployment of the MIM-23 HAWK system means that the Turkish army will no longer need to rely on fighter jets and drones to down Syrian regime fighter jets.

Sources at the Syrian armed opposition justified the deployment of the defense system as being part of Turkish measures to protect its borders against any regime attacks.

The HAWK system was developed in the 1960s but has been improved over the years. It has the ability to destroy aircraft flying at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers and has a range of 40 kilometers.

Local sources in Idlib noticed an unprecedented movement of Turkish military forces in Idlib, particularly following Saturday’s visit by Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to the border with Syria, where the army is pushing military reinforcements to Idlib.

A column of dozens of Turkish vehicles was seen crossing into Syrian territory, via the Kafr Lusin crossing.



Grundberg in Yemen to Urge Houthis to Accept Peace, Release Detainees

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
TT

Grundberg in Yemen to Urge Houthis to Accept Peace, Release Detainees

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)
UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrives at Sanaa Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 06 January 2025. (EPA)

UN Special Envoy for Yemen for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrived in Houthi-held Sanaa on Monday as part of his efforts to urge the Iran-backed militias to accept peace and release employees from the UN and humanitarian agencies.

Grundberg's “visit is part of the ongoing efforts to de-escalate the current tensions that have engulfed the region and Yemen,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Monday. “In addition, his efforts will focus on advancing the peace process.”

The Houthis have stepped up their missile attacks against Israel, and have been targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor for over a year — attacks they say won't stop until there's a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly bombarded Yemen's ports, oil infrastructure and the airport in Sanaa, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away.

“We’ll also be pushing for the release of the arbitrarily detained UN personnel and also from other NGOs and civil society,” the UN spokesman said.

The Houthis claim the detainees, most of them held since June, are part of an “American-Israeli spy network,” an allegation vehemently denied by the UN, NGO organizations, governments and others.

Grundberg arrived in Yemen after holding talks with Omani officials in Muscat. Present at the talks was Houthi spokesman and chief negotiator Mohammed Abdelsalam.

The envoy is hoping to make a breakthrough in the Yemeni crisis after his efforts stalled with the Houthis launching their attacks on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping.

A statement from his office said he is hoping his meetings in Sanaa will lead to the Houthis to take tangible steps to push the peace process forward.

“His visit is part of his ongoing efforts to urge for concrete and essential actions by the Houthis for advancing the peace process. It is also part of his continuing efforts to support the release of the arbitrarily detained UN, NGO, civil society and diplomatic mission personnel,” said the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen (OSESGY) on the X platform.

He plans to conduct a series of national and regional meetings in the coming days under his mediation efforts.