China denies military drill with Russia, Syria, Iran
BEIJING, June 20 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday said there was no truth to an Iranian media report about a joint military drill involving China, Russia, Syria and Iran.
"The report is groundless," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei at a regular press briefing.
The Iranian news agency Fars reported that 90,000 troops and hundreds of ships, tanks and warplanes from the four countries would take part in a land and sea drill in Syria soon.
Russia and Syria have also denied the report.
Russia's denial of military drill story: was it all psy-ops?
"Russia has denied reports in media that it allegedly planned joint military exercises with China and Iran on Syrian territory.
'This is absurd', Mr. Igor Dygalo, aide to Russia's Navy commander said.
Earlier this week the Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV channel reported that Russia, China and Iran were planning joint exercises, the largest in the Middle East, comprising some 90,000 ground, naval and air forces, as well as 400 aircrafts, 1,000 tanks and Russian submarines, destroyers and an aircraft carrier.
The report said that Egypt had allowed 12 Chinese navy ships to go through the Suez Canal to arrive in Syria.
This false report also claimed that Syria was going to test its anti-ship missiles and air defense system."
"The Interfax news agency quoted an unidentified Russian navy official as saying two amphibious landing vessels, Nikolai Filchenkov and Caesar Kunikov, would be heading shortly to the Syrian port of Tartus, but gave no precise date.
The official said the ships would carry an unspecified number of marines to protect Russians in Syria and evacuate some equipment from Tartus if necessary.
Interfax said each of the ships was capable of carrying 150 marines and a dozen tanks. It quoted a deputy Russian air force chief as saying Russia would give the necessary protection to its citizens in Syria.
"We must protect our citizens," Major-General Vladimir Gradusov told Interfax. "We won't abandon the Russians and [we will] evacuate them from the conflict zone if necessary."
Syria denies military drill with Russia, China, Iran
PanARMENIAN.Net - Syria denied on Tuesday, June 19 reports of an upcoming military exercise on its territory with the participation of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian forces, RIA Novosti reported.
Media reports said the exercise would take place in Syria and in its territorial waters, and that Egypt has allowed 12 Chinese warships to pass through the Suez Canal.
“This information is out of synch with reality,” said Buseina Shaaban, political advisor to the Syrian president. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”
She also dismissed Western media reports that a cargo vessel has left the Baltic Sea port of Kaliningrad with a consignment of helicopters and is headed for Syria.
“This information is a provocation and it also has nothing to do with reality,” Shaaban said.
According to UN estimates, about 12,000 people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of a popular uprising against President Assad in March 2011, which started with peaceful protests but has since grown into a low-level civil war.
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