Breaking: Israeli jet shot down by Syria

by MTmofo

Community

(This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday, Feb. 09, 2018 Friday, Feb. 09, 2018 at 10:27:14pm PST

Syrian anti-aircraft fire has shot down an Israeli fighter and Israel struck an Iranian target that had launched an unmanned aircraft into its airspace from Syria, the Israeli military said.

“IDF (Israel Defence Forces) has targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the [unmanned aircraft] into Israeli airspace. Massive Syrian anti-air fire, one F16 crashed in Israel, pilots safe,” Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said on Twitter on Saturday.

The tweet added that Iran was responsible for “this severe violation of Israeli sovereignty. Event ongoing, more to follow”.

According to a separate military statement, Israeli forces had identified an “Iranian UAV” launched from Syria and intercepted it in Israeli airspace with a combat helicopter.

www.theguardian.com/…

IDF has targeted the Iranian control systems in Syria that sent the #UAV into Israeli airspace. Massive Syrian Anti-Air fire, one F16 crashed in Israel, pilots safe. #Iran is responsible for this severe violation of Israeli sovereignty. Event ongoing, more to follow.
— Jonathan Conricus (@LTCJonathan) February 10, 2018

Conricus is Spokesman & Head of Social Media of the IDF. @IDFSpokesperson.

Syrian state media reported that the country's air defences opened fire in response to an Israeli act of "aggression" against a military base on Saturday, hitting "more than one plane".

Israeli strikes in Syria are not unusual, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman says. But he adds that the downing of an Israeli fighter jet marks one of the most serious escalations yet.