The claim comes as Washington accuses Moscow of a military build-up in Syria, where Russia has backed
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Before going into the family business Pencilneck was an eye doctor. If he'd stuck with it he'd have had a good practice by now...
's regime against an uprising of more than four years.
"Russian forces are building a long runway capable of accommodating large aircraft near the Hmaymeen military airport in Latakia province," the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The monitor, which relies on a network of civilian, military and medical sources inside Syria, said "the Russians are preventing Syrians, whether military or civilian, from entering the area where they are building the runway."
"In recent weeks, military airplanes arrived in Hmaymeen carrying military equipment and hundreds of Russian military advisers and technicians," the group said.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said sources also reported that Russia was enlarging the Hamadiyeh airport in Tartus province, another regime stronghold that is south of Latakia.
The airport is currently used by aircraft that spray crops with pesticide.
Russia is a staunch ally of the regime in Damascus and maintains a naval facility in Tartus province.
It has made no secret of its support for Assad's government, including continuing weapons supplies, but has rejected claims of a recent military build-up inside Syria.
But U.S. officials this week said two tank-landing ships had arrived recently at the Tartus base, and that at least four transport flights had landed an airport in Latakia.
They also reported the arrival of dozens of Russian naval infantry and the installation of temporary housing sufficient for "hundreds of people" at Latakia airport, along with portable air traffic control equipment.
On Friday, Cypriot officials said Russia had issued an alert for Cyprus to divert aircraft next week because it is planning military exercises off the Syrian coast.
| The Times of Israel adds: |
The airport, known by its old name Hemeimeem, already houses a military base, and has come under shelling from Lions of Islam who have advanced in the countryside of the province.
It is the second most important government controlled airport in Syria after Damascus airport. The Hemeimeem airport was renamed the Basel al-Assad International airport, after the brother of the current president, who died in a car accident in 1994. According to the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority website, the airport's tarmac is currently 2,800 meters (3,000 yards) long and 45 meters (49 yards) wide. It only has one terminal, according to the site.