Chief of staff General Hassan Turkmani called again on the Syrian military, especially the air force, to stand “ready to repel” any Israeli attack, the official news agency SANA reported. The general, speaking to an air force academy graduation ceremony in Aleppo, 350 kilometres (215 miles) north of Damascus, urged the forces “to sacrifice all to defend the nation and national dignity.” His call, similar to one he made Thursday, came following fresh warnings to Damascus from Israel, which on October 5 launched an air strike near Damascus against an alleged Palestinian militant group training base. Full Story