Israel shoots down Syrian warplane in Golan

By Abdul Raouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s air defenses shot down a Syrian warplane that violated Israeli airspace over the Golan Heights, according to Israeli media on Tuesday.

In a statement, the army said two Patriot missiles were fired at the Sukhoi fighter jet after it penetrated 1 mile into Israeli airspace.

It said the Russian-made jet was under surveillance before entering the Israeli airspace.

But Israeli daily Haaretz said the Syrian warplane was shot down by Israeli air defenses.

It remains unclear where exactly the warplane had crashed.

“The IDF (army) is in high alert and will continue to operate against the violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement,” the army said.

Israel has occupied most of the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Middle East War.