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US may build up forces over 24 hours for Syria strike, Russian diplomat says

Currently, the strike grouping of the United States, France and Great Britain comprises strategic and tactical aircraft at airbases in Jordan, Kuwait and Crete, Maria Zakharova said

© AP Photo/Hussein Malla

MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. The US may build up its grouping of forces in the Middle East over 24 hours for a missile strike against Syria, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.

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Syria’s air defense on ‘highest alert’ in case of sudden strike by US — media

"They [the United States] may build up missile capabilities for strikes on Syria just over 24 hours. Currently, the strike grouping of the United States, France and Great Britain comprises strategic and tactical aircraft at airbases in Jordan, Kuwait and Crete. It consists of about 70 carriers, around 380 airborne cruise missiles and also two US destroyers Carney and Ross, with each carrying 28 Tomahawks on its board," the Russian diplomat said.

"In the Mediterranean Sea, the grouping of missile carriers can be reinforced over just one day’s passage with two more US destroyers, namely, the Donald Cook and the Porter, which are now staying at the base in the Spanish town of Rota, and also with submarines," the spokeswoman said.

"In the Red Sea, the guided missile destroyer Jason Dunham can arrive within the same period while the Sullivans in the Persian Gulf can return to the attack position," the Russian diplomat said.

"That is, to speak a simple rather than a specialized language, no less than four more seaborne missile carriers with a strike power of over 112 Tomahawks can join the aggression against the sovereign Syrian state within the shortest time possible," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

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