Israel said Iran and Syria are “playing with fire,” but the country does not want an escalation of the situation, AFP reported.
“IDF intercepted an Iranian UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] from Syria over Israeli airspace, and is now engaging Iranian targets in Syria in response,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, social media spokesperson for the IDF, tweeted on Saturday morning.
He reported “massive Syrian Anti-Air fire” and confirmed the IDF hit Iran’s drone control facility in Syria.
Iran denied that the drone had entered Israeli airspace. In a joint statement with Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the Syrian regime allies accused Israel of “lies” and promised a “firm and tough response to any new aggression.”
One Israeli jet crashed during the incident and the two pilots ejected and are safe, Conricus stated.
One of the pilots was “severely injured as a result of an emergency evacuation,” the IDF stated. The pilot is being treated in hospital and the family has been notified.
Syria’s military accused Israel of a “new aggression early this morning on one of our military forces,” state-run SANA reported, citing a military source.
Syria responded, using its air-defence system and “damaged more than one plane,” the source added.
Mid-morning, SANA reported an Israeli air raid near Damascus, which their air-defence system responded to. The IDF is striking 12 “Syrian and Iranian military targets in Syria, in response to Iranian aggression,” Conricus stated.
The 12 targets included three aerial defense batteries and four Iranian military targets, the IDF stated.
Syria responded with anti-aircraft missiles. SANA reported that the attack was repelled, but huge blasts have been reported in Damascus.
The Iranian drone that was downed is now in Israeli possession, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said, according to Haaretz.
“This is a serious Iranian attack on Israeli territory. Iran is dragging the region into a situation in which it doesn’t know how it will end. We are prepared for a variety of incidents… whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price,” Manelis warned.
Updated at 2:13 pm
