On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli Air Forces shot down a Syrian fighter jet that entered Israeli airspace.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that two Patriot missiles were fired at a Russian-made Sukhoi-model fighter jet which penetrated two kilometres into Israeli airspace.
Incoming rocket alert sirens were heard throughout northern Israel in the afternoon in the Golan Regional Council, Jordan Valley and in the city of Katzrin.
This was the first time that Israel shot down a Syrian fighter jet since 2014, when another Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jet entered Israeli airspace and was targeted with a Patriot missile.
The Israeli military said the Syrian plane took off from the T-4 airbase near Homs, which was the target of at least two Israeli airstrikes in the past. The base was used by Iranian forces and housed a command centre for Iran’s drone operations in Syria.
On Monday, Israel used its David Sling missile interceptor system for the first time, launching two missiles against two Russian-made SS-21 Tochka tactical ballistic missiles launched from Syria.
