Syria conducts naval live fire exercises

Syria's navy staged live fire exercises at the weekend, launching missiles from both sea and land to "simulate the scenario of repelling a sudden attack from the sea," the state news agency said on Sunday. "The navy carried out the training successfully, repelling the hypothetical attack and hitting the given targets with high precision," SANA reported. Defence Minister General Daoud Rajha commended "the exceptional performance by the naval forces, who showed a high level of combat training and their ability to defend Syria's shores against any possible aggression." SANA said the exercises are part of a combat training plan issued by the military high command to be carried out over several days. The plan comprises "military manoeuvres involving land, sea and air forces to test the combat readiness of the Syrian Arab Army and inspect its ability to carry out its duties in circumstances similar to possible combat conditions."