The skyline of lower Manhattan sits in darkne
The skyline of lower Manhattan sits in darkneReuters

While Frankenstorm Sandy unleashed a fatal trail of destruction along the East Coast this week, most global reactions included an outpouring of sympathy and support. However, the reaction was quite different in Syria, where some pro-government supporters welcomed the superstorm, claiming the natural disaster is the result of high-tech secret engineering, CNN reported.

"Sources confirmed to us that Hurricane Sandy that is slamming the U.S. was set off by highly advanced technologies developed by the heroic Iranian regime that supports the resistance, with coordination of our resistive Syrian regime," pro-government group News Network of the Syrian Armed Forces said in a Facebook posting.

"This is the punishment for whoever dares to attack Syria's (Bashar) al-Assad and threaten peace and stability,” it said.

Comments accompanying the post, which received more than 300 likes, ranged from derision to support, according to CNN.

"This is complete baloney by the regime and its thugs," said one comment. "There is nothing worse than this nonsense. If you have such technologies, why doesn't your great sophisticated regime get the temperature to be a bit higher in Russia and make the skies rain in the dry lands in Syria?"

Supporters of the pro-government group slammed those doubting the claim.

"Why are you surprised by such a heroic act that our special forces carried out with the help of the Iranian experts?," one posted. " Yes this is the great work of the brave lions of Syria in retaliation to the evil conspiracy against our great nation. We will have our victory even if it will take some time."

Battles between anti-government fighters and Syrian forces continue, despite the recent attempt at an internationally sanctioned cease-fire.

The United Nations special envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, acknowledged that the truce failed saying, “I am terribly sorry ... that this appeal [for a truce] has not been heard to the level we hoped it would, but that will not discourage us.”

The four-day truce for Eid al-Adha, a major Muslim holiday, started Friday but immediately faced opposition after an al Qaeda-inspired Islamist group rejected it.

Brahimi had hoped a successful cease-fire would create momentum for negotiations over ending the 19-month crisis that has already killed more than 30,000 people.