Israel downs Iranians drone, strikes Syria
Israeli F-16 crashes amid anti-aircraft fire in escalation.
JERUSALEM — In its most serious engagement in neighboring Syria since fighting there began in 2011, Israel shot down an infiltrating Iranian drone Saturday and struck Iranian targets deep in Syria before one of its own jets was downed.
The sudden escalation offers what could be a harbinger of what lies ahead as the Syrian fighting winds down and an emboldened Iran establishes a military presence that Israel vows it will never accept.
Israel has issued several stern warnings of late about the increased Iranian involvement along its border in Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli Cabinet just held a meeting near the Syrian border to highlight the new threats, which it attributes to Iran’s growing confi- dence given the success of the government of Bashar Assad in the Syrian civil war thanks to their support.
Israel called the drone infiltration a “severe and irregular violation of Israeli sovereignty” and warned that Iran would be held accountable for its meddling, raising the spec- ter of a larger confrontation in an area that has remained largely stable since a month- long war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006.
“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,” Israel’s chief military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis, said in a special statement. “Whoever is responsible for this incident is the one who will pay the price.” attacks or create a land cor
Prime Minister Benjamin ridor from Iran to Lebanon Netanyahu and Defense Min- that could allow it to transister Avigdor Lieberman confer weapons more easily to vened the top brass at miliHezbollah — Lebanon’s Iranitary headquarters in Tel Aviv an-backed political party and for long hours of emergency militant group sworn to Israconsultations throughout the el’s destruction. Though Israel Jewish Sabbath to discuss their has largely stayed out of the next steps. Syrian conflict, it has struck
Netanyahu said he spoke weapons convoys destined with Russian President Vladi- for Hezbollah — which is fightmir Putin and vowed to strike ing alongside Syrian forces — back hard. “Iran seeks to use almost 100 times since 2012. Syrian territory to attack But Israel has refrained from Israel for its professed goal striking Iranian sites directly. of destroying Israel,” he said. Syria has also repeatedly said “Israel holds Iran and its Syrit will respond to Israeli airian host responsible for today’s strikes but has rarely returned aggression. We will continue fire. Both of those trends came to do whatever is necessary to to an abrupt end Saturday as protect our sovereignty and a rapid escalation played out our security.” in the early-morning hours.
Israel also appealed to the At dawn, Israel said it shot United Nations Security Coun- down an Iranian unmanned cil to denounce Iran’s aggresaircraft that penetrated its airsion and “put an immediate space and then destroyed the end to Iranian provocations.” Iranian site in central Syria
Israel would not confirm that it said launched it. whether its aircraft was actuUpon their return, Israel’s ally shot down by enemy fire, jets came under heavy Syrwhich would mark the first ian anti-aircraft fire and the such instance for Israel since pilots of one of the F-16s had 1982 during the first Leba- to eject and the plane crashed non war. in northern Israel. One pilot
Israel fears Iran cou ld was seriously wounded and use Syrian territory to stage the other one lightly.