Israeli Air Force jets pounded targets in Syria which resulted in the Syrian air defense systems launching multiple ground-to-air missiles at the jets in retaliation. One of the rockets was intercepted.
The two countries have been technically at war since the 2011 Syrian civil war against Bashar Al-Assad’s government began. But the bombing of yesterday is regarded as the most serious escalation of the conflict yet in the region.
Israeli authorities claim that their Arrow missile defense systems intercepted one of the rockets fired at the Israeli jets. Syrian military authorities claim to have shot down one of the jets, but the Israeli Air Force said that they suffered no losses in the air strike.
Syria’s army high command confirmed in a statement on Friday that Israeli jets breached Syrian airspace early in the morning and attacked a military target near Palmyra.
The high command described the attack as an act of aggression that aided the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which is fighting against the Syrian government.
It said its air defences shot down one of four Israeli jets over what it called “occupied ground” and damaged another.
There were no reports by the Israeli army of any aircraft lost in the operation.
Jordanian new media said an “unidentified object” fell from the skies on Thursday night in the northern area of Irbid, after which security forces surrounded the area of impact.
Pictures shared on social media showed what appeared to be part of a missile that had landed in a yard.
The air strikes were reportedly targeting arms convoys of the known terror group Hezbollah who fought the Israelis in Lebanon in 2016 and is supporting the Assad regime in this conflict. The missile launches prompted the Israelis to set off air raid sirens in the Jordan Valley. Witnesses claimed to have heard an explosion, which may have been the rocket being intercepted.
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Photo courtesy Israeli Air Force