(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) banning commercial flights over Syrian airspace due to the "volatile security environment" which "poses a serious potential threat to civil aviation." The statement said the ban is "based on an updated assessment of the risk associated with such operations and the lack of any requests from operators wishing to fly in this airspace." The NOTAM further explained there are "armed extremist groups" known to be equipped with a variety of anti-aircraft weapons, which have the capability to threaten civilian aircraft." On Tuesday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said "there are advanced conventional weapons like shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles which are in the wrong hands," but admitted she was not aware how the Syrian opposition came to possess the equipment.
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