An Israeli drone was shot down in Syrian territory on Monday, Israel’s Defense Forces confirmed.
Lebanese terror group Hezbollah posted pictures of the downed Skylark drone, which was shot down over Quneitra in the Syrian Golan Heights.
The Israeli military said the circumstances of the incident were being checked. The “sky rider” is a tactical surveillance drone created by Elbit Systems and operated by the IDF’s Artillery Corps.
The miniature unmanned aerial vehicle can be launched by one or two people, depending on the model, and once airborne provides a live video feed to soldiers on the ground.
Monday’s incident has come days after escalating tensions between Israel and Syria. Overnight last Thursday, Israel’s Arrow Defence System was used to intercept a Syrian anti-aircraft missile targeted at Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, in the most serious exchange between the two countries since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011. IAF planes had struck several targets in Syria – reportedly advanced arms shipments to Hezbollah.
Israel has repeatedly vowed to prevent Hezbollah from acquiring any advanced weaponry and there have been several reported strikes on arms convoys since 2011.
Israel’s Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman said on Sunday: “Each time we discover arms transfers from Syria to Lebanon we will act to stop them. On this there will be no compromise”.
