WASHINGTON, June 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department Friday criticized Syria's missile tests, saying the act was "out of step" with what was going in the region.
"It's one more example of Syria being out of step with what's going on in the rest of the region," the department's new spokesman Sean McCormack said.
Earlier Friday, Israeli military officials said Syria test-fired three Scud missiles last Friday, the first such tests since 2001. One of the missiles, officials say, broke up over Turkish territory and showered missile parts onto unsuspecting Turkish farmers, the New York Times reported Friday.
Israel said the tests were part of a Syrian missile development project using North Korean technology and reportedly designed to deliver air-burst chemical weapons. The missiles included one older Scud B, with a range of about 185 miles, and two Scud D's, the Israelis say they believe, with a range of about 435 miles.
