Syrian rebels now confirmed to have anti-crafit missiles
Syrian rebels have acquired shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, NBC News reported late Tuesday night.
According to the report, Free Syrian Army rebels claim they now have nearly two dozen surface-to-air missiles smuggled from Turkey.
US government sources have been saying for weeks that Arab governments seeking to oust Assad have been pressing for such missiles, also known as MANPADs, for man-portable air-defense systems, to be supplied to the rebels.
The exact type of missile was not mentioned in the report. Such a weapon, however, would offer a significant defense against helicopter gunships that Syrian government forces have deployed to target rebel strongholds such as Aleppo, where intense fighting has raged for nearly two weeks.