Assad sends message: Army test-fires Scud missile

The Syrian army has staged a live-fire drill in the eastern part of the country. During the drill the army fired at least one Scud-B missile, which has a range of about 300 kilometers in the direction of the border with Iraq. It was further reported that 300 and 600-millimeter surface-to-surface missiles were also test fired. The missiles have a range of 150 (93 miles) and 200 kilometers (124 miles). The drill is apparently aimed at showing the region's nations that Syria's army is still functioning despite the civil uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime, which, according to the UN, has claimed some 4,000 lives so far.