Israel downs Iranian drone from Syria

By Ali Semerci

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli army shot down an Iranian drone launched from Syria and struck a number of Iranian targets in the war-torn country, according to the Israeli military.

In a statement, the army said an Iranian UAV entered Israeli airspace from Syria early Saturday and was intercepted by an Israeli Air Force Apache.

“In response, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) targeted Iranian targets in Syria,” the army said, giving no further details.

The army said an Israeli aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft missile during the raid.

“The pilots of one of the planes ejected themselves. The pilots fell inside Israel and were evacuated to hospital,” the army said.

There was no comment from the Iranian authorities on the claim.

For decades, Israel-Iran relations have been characterized by deep animosity. While Tehran sees Israel as its biggest enemy, the Jewish state insists Iran must be prevented from achieving a nuclear deterrent.