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On February 24, several Pantsir-S1 air defense systems of the Syrian Air Defense Forces (SADF) intercepted five rockets over the al-Dumayr airbase located 25km northeast of the Eastern Ghouta pocket, according to Syrian pro-government activists.
The Russian-made air defense system Pantsir-S1 has proven itself as an effective countermeasure against medium size projectiles. Similar systems have been able to intercept several rockets over the Russian Hmeimim airbase on many occasions. On December 27, 2017 the system successfully intercepted two Grad rockets over the Russian airbase.
Few minutes after the interception, several Syrian opposition news outlets reported that Jaysh al-Islam fighters had shelled the al-Dumayr airbase with several rockets and artillery rounds from their positions in the East Qalamun pocket, only 8km north of the airbase.
The Al-Dumayr airbase is currently hosting a joint operations room of the Tiger Forces and the Syrian Arab army as well as several heavy rocket launchers, according to Syrian opposition activists.
In a related development, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that militants operating in East Ghouta had shelled the districts of the Syrian capital, Damascus with more than 55 mortars and rockets over the last 24 hours.
A source of the Syrian Police in Damascus city told SANA that seven civilians were injured in the random shelling of the opposition militiamen. The source added that the shelling had resulted in massive material loses.
Jaysh al-Islam had the Rukn al-Din district in the northern part of Damascus with a heavy unguided artillery rocket on February 23. One civilian was killed and fifteen others were injured in the attack.
