Russia blames Israel as plane makes emergency landing

MOSCOW Russia on Friday blamed Israel after a plane carrying 173 passengers made an emergency landing. The Airbus-320 was en route from the Iranian capital Tehran to Damascus when it narrowly missed a strike by Syrian air defense system, Russia's TASS news agency reported citing Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov. The plane was escorted from the danger zone and it made an emergency landing in Hmeymim, an airbase in Syria controlled by Russia, the spokesman told reporters. The Syrian defense system was repelling an Israeli airstrike which hit the outskirts of Damascus on Feb. 6, he added. “Israeli General Staff's military operations in air using passenger jets for cover or block of response fire by Syrian missile systems is becoming a typical trait of Israeli Air Force,” he said.