Farkash: “Hezbollah is using weapons Syria purchased from Russia”

Saed Bannoura-IMEMC & Agencies - Thursday, 29 December 2005: Aharon Ze'evi Farkash, head of the Israeli military intelligence, said during an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday, that the Lebanon based Hezbollah party is using Russian RPG shells which Syria purchased from Russia.

“The true face of the Russians and the Syrian has been exposed”, Farkash said, “They by and sell weapons after vowing not transfer it to Hezbollah, and the weapons end to be used against us”.

Farkash claimed that Syria purchased Russian shells over the last several years, and delivered them to Hezbollah, adding that these shells have long range.

“This is why Israel objected to a Russian-Syrian weapons deal”, Farkash claimed, “Russia sold S.I 18 missiles to Syria”.

Also, Farkash claimed that the Katyusha rockets which were fired at northern Israel on Tuesday at night were Russian made, but they were transferred to Syrian during an old deal, and not recently.

Several shells were fired at Keryat Shmoneh and Shlomi Israeli towns, on Tuesday at night and Wednesday at dawn, damage was reported, no injuries.

“We know that the Syrian president, Bashar Asad, transferred weapons and ammunition to Palestinian factions in Lebanon”, Farkash added, “He transferred the weapons last April, before the Syrian army withdrew from Lebanon”.