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Israel shoots down infiltrating Syrian fighter jet
Israel’s aerial defence system yesterday shot down a Syrian fighter plane which intruded Israeli air space in the first incident of its kind since the early 1980s.
The Syrian Russian-built Sukhoi fighter plane reportedly took off from a base in eastern Syria and reached an altitude of 10-14,000 feet. The jet is thought to have been tasked with attacking Syrian opposition forces, mainly from the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al Nusra Front, near the border town of Quneitra. However, the plane flew 800 metres into Israeli territory where it remained for more than a minute. A Patriot missile struck the aircraft in accordance with Israeli military protocol which stipulates that any plane which infiltrates Israeli territory must be downed. The two Syrian pilots reportedly ejected before the plane was hit, but their fate remains unclear.
Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon commented that Israel “will not allow any element – neither a state nor a terrorist group – to threaten our security and violate our sovereignty.” He added that the Syrian warplane had crossed into “Israeli territory in the Golan Heights in a threatening manner.” Syrian state television accused Israel of an “act of aggression.”
Although Israel has been careful to remain on the sidelines of the bloody Syrian Civil War, yesterday’s incident was the latest example of the conflict threatening Israel. Twice earlier this month, mortars fired from Syrian territory landed on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers and civilians have on occasion been hit by gunfire. An IDF official earlier this week estimated that 95 per cent of the Syrian border territory is in the hands of opposition forces, mainly Al Nusra fighters.
Yesterday’s air interception came just hours after the United States-led coalition launched air strikes against ISIS targets in Syria, with five Arab countries having also joined the sortie. Although ISIS is not considered an immediate threat to Israel, a senior IDF officer told Haaretz recently that “they might show up later on.”