Israeli military confirms attacks on three targets after Syrian UAV is downed over the Sea of Galilee
The Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes in Syria Wednesday night, targeting regime forces in the Quneitra region near the border, hours after a Syrian drone was shot down by the military after entering Israeli airspace.
The military confirmed the bombings in the Syrian Golan, saying they came in response to the drone infiltration.
Syrian state news agency SANA claimed Syria’s air defenses blocked the attack near the village of Hader.
“The aircraft of the Israeli enemy launches a number of missiles at several army positions” in Quneitra, causing material damage, it said.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said the army will “continue to act decisively and forcefully against attempts to violate Israeli sovereignty.” It warned the Syrian regime against any attempt to act against Israeli forces.
According to the military, shortly after 3:15 p.m. an apparently unarmed Syrian drone entered Israeli airspace from Syria through the demilitarized zone between the two countries, after first passing over Jordan. Some 16 minutes later, a Patriot anti-aircraft missile was fired at the UAV, shooting it down over the Sea of Galilee, IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus told reporters.
The military quickly recovered the fragments of the drone in an area south of the lake. It did not appear to have been armed and was more likely sent into Israel on a reconnaissance mission, Conricus said.
The IDF decried the infiltration as a violation of Israeli sovereignty. Conricus said the military had not retaliated to the incident, but was not dismissing the possibility.
“As of now there has not been a response to it. We’ll see,” he said.
That the drone was able to travel approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Israel before being shot down raised questions about the military’s preparedness and ability to locate and intercept incoming aircraft.
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