The Syrian air defense on Wednesday forced an Israeli drone to leave Syria's airspace in the southern region, state news agency SANA reported.

The Israeli drone infiltrated the Syrian airspace over the southern province of Qunaitera near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, said SANA.

It added that the air defense intercepted the drone and forced it to leave.

The incident comes just days after the Syrian anti-aircraft missiles intercepted Israeli missile attacks against Syrian military positions and downed an Israeli F-16 war jet, which crashed in northern Israel.

The Israelis claimed they attacked the Syrian bases after an Iranian drone launched in Syria has infiltrated the Israeli airspace, a claim denied by the Iranians.

The incident marked the first time an Israeli warplane is downed since the Lebanese war in 1982.

The Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted Syrian military positions during Syria's nearly seven-year-long conflict, with Israel claiming it was targeting positions of Iranian-backed militias, including the Lebanese Hezbollah.

The latest Israeli attacks have been confronted by the Syrian air defenses, with Syrian government officials saying the Syrian air defenses will instantly retaliate against any hostile aircraft violating Syria's airspace.

Source:
courtesy of XINHUA NEWS AGENCY

by Xinhua News Agency

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