Tensions mount for Israel and Iran
Israel yesterday shot down an Iranian drone over their air space – then attacked at least a dozen targets in Syria in response.
Israel called the drone incident a “severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty”.
The military said their planes faced massive antiaircraft fire from Syria that forced two pilots to abandon an F-16 jet that crashed in northern Israel.
Both pilots were wounded, one seriously.
The move marks a dramatic escalation in tensions along Israel ’ s northern border.
Israel ’s chief mi l itary spokesman Ronen Manelis said: “This is a serious Iranian attack on Israeli territory.
“Iran is dragging the region into an adventure in which it doesn’t know how it will end.
“Whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price.”
The Israeli military then carried out what it called a “large scale attack” against Iranian and Syrian targets in Syria.
The military said it struck 12 targets, including three aerial defence batteries and four Iranian targets that are part of Iran’s military establishment in Syria.
During the attack, antiaircraft missiles were fired at Israeli jets.
Syrian state TV said the Israeli raids struck a base in the country’s central area, and called it a“new aggression”.