Israel says on ‘high alert’ after downing Syrian fighter jet in Golan Heights

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) say they are on “high alert” after shooting down a Syrian warplane it says was flying over its airspace in the southern Golan Heights on Tuesday.

“Two Patriot missiles were launched at a Syrian Sukhoi fighter jet that infiltrated about one mile into Israeli airspace,” the IDF said in a statement, adding it “monitored the fighter jet, which was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles.”

“Since this morning, there has been an increase in the internal fighting in Syria and the Syrian Air Force’s activity. The IDF is [on] high alert and will continue to operate against the violation of the 1974 Separation of Forces agreement,” the statement continued.

Syria, meanwhile, said the jet was shot down over Syrian territory as it raided Islamic State (IS) militants who are active at the border with Israel.

The plane reportedly crashed inside Syria, killing the pilot while the fate of a second crew member is unknown, The Times of Israel reported.

According to the IDF, the Syrian fighter jet departed from an Iranian-linked T-4 air force base in central Syria, which Israel had targeted in the past, the report added.

Tehran is closely aligned with Damascus. It views the Syrian regime’s continued rule as vital to its regional ambitions, and it has supported President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s seven-year-long civil war.

Israel is determined to eliminate Iran’s military presence in Syria and has conducted at least five strikes against Iranian positions since last September.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the shootdown, stating that his country’s forces “acted accordingly.”

“We insist that Syria strictly respect the separation agreements between them and us,” he wrote in a tweet, referring to a 1974 disengagement pact to demilitarise the disputed Golan Heights.

Tuesday’s incident is the first time in four years a Syrian jet has been shot down by Israel.