Assad visits Russian airbase in Syria

Damascus, June 27 (SURYAA) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday visited the Hmeimim airbase in Syria's northern city of Latakia, reviewing the latest military equipment in that Russian-run base.

Assad's visit to Hmeimim is his first declared tour to the base which has been run by the Russian forces since 2015 when they intervened to aid the Syrian government forces in the face of the foreign-backed insurgency, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report said Assad toured the base and reviewed the modern military gear, including warplanes and armoured carriers.

Touring the base with Russian commanders, Assad also checked the latest Su 35 warplanes there.

Photos of the President during his tour were made available and posted by the presidential media office.

This is the latest high profile visit by Assad, starting with a special prayer on Eid ul-Fitr in the central city of Homs, his first visit to the city since the beginning of the Syrian civil war six years ago.

He also visited injured soldiers in Hama, along with his wife and three children.

But the visit to the Hmeimim base comes at a time when the US warned there are "potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack" by the Syrian government forces and warned Assad that he would face a "heavy price" if it is carried out.

The US warplanes have also struck the Syrian Army several times over the past two months, when it was advancing towards Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group, and the Iraqi borders.

Russia has repeatedly slammed the US strikes amid reports that it equipped the Syrian Army with high-tech military equipment to defend itself against further attacks.

Assad's visit to the base apparently aims to showcase confidence and the strong alliance with Russia in the face of the US threats.