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| Israeli fighter jets fired upon during Syria mission in clash with pro-Assad forces | Israeli fighter jets fired upon during Syria mission in clash with pro-Assad forces |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israel military jets on an operation over Syria have been targeted by anti-aircraft missiles in the most serious clash between Israel and pro-Assad forces since the beginning of the civil war in Syria. | Israel military jets on an operation over Syria have been targeted by anti-aircraft missiles in the most serious clash between Israel and pro-Assad forces since the beginning of the civil war in Syria. |
| Although none of the Israeli aircraft were hit, one of the missiles was intercepted north of Jerusalem by an Israeli missile defence system. | |
| The first indications of the exchange of fire came in the middle of the night with air raid sirens in the Israeli-occupied Jordan valley and reports of an explosion, heard over a large area, which was later confirmed as the sound of one of the missiles being brought down by Israeli air defences. | |
| Later Israeli military sources described the rocket brought down over Israel as one known to be in Syrian military arsenal – although not its most advanced – adding that it had been intercepted by its Arrow anti-missile system in its first confirmed use since being deployed in the late 1990s. | |
| The incident was highly unusual in that it also saw the Israeli military break its customary silence over raids in Syria to release a statement to admit that its aircraft had been targeted while operating there. | The incident was highly unusual in that it also saw the Israeli military break its customary silence over raids in Syria to release a statement to admit that its aircraft had been targeted while operating there. |
| “Overnight, March 17, IAF aircrafts [sic] targeted several targets in Syria,” said the statement. “Several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria following the mission and the IDF aerial defence systems intercepted one of the missiles. At no point was the safety of Israeli civilians or the IAF aircraft compromised.” | “Overnight, March 17, IAF aircrafts [sic] targeted several targets in Syria,” said the statement. “Several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria following the mission and the IDF aerial defence systems intercepted one of the missiles. At no point was the safety of Israeli civilians or the IAF aircraft compromised.” |
| The statement has confirmed what has long been an open secret in Israel in recent years, that Israeli jets have been targeting weapons convoys intended for the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has been fighting on the side of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. | The statement has confirmed what has long been an open secret in Israel in recent years, that Israeli jets have been targeting weapons convoys intended for the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has been fighting on the side of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. |
| טיל ששוגר מסוריה ונפל בשטח הכפר ענבה במחוז אירביד צפונית לירדן ללא נפגעים.הזעקות הופעלו בישובי הבקעה.הדי הפיצוץ נשמעו בירושלים וראמאללה pic.twitter.com/Bu0yTbr55B | טיל ששוגר מסוריה ונפל בשטח הכפר ענבה במחוז אירביד צפונית לירדן ללא נפגעים.הזעקות הופעלו בישובי הבקעה.הדי הפיצוץ נשמעו בירושלים וראמאללה pic.twitter.com/Bu0yTbr55B |
| Although Israel has operated with relative impunity in Syria, Russian-supplied anti-aircraft missile systems – including most recently S300 launchers – have long threatened to complicate Israel’s freedom of action over Syria, despite a deconfliction arrangement with Moscow to avoid accidental clashes with Russian aircraft supporting the Assad regime. | Although Israel has operated with relative impunity in Syria, Russian-supplied anti-aircraft missile systems – including most recently S300 launchers – have long threatened to complicate Israel’s freedom of action over Syria, despite a deconfliction arrangement with Moscow to avoid accidental clashes with Russian aircraft supporting the Assad regime. |
| Israel has largely avoided entanglement in the war in Syria, however it has launched raids on warehouses and convoys linked to the transport of Iranian-supplied arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon. | |
| Despite the deconfliction arrangement with Moscow there has been growing concern in Israeli security circles at events turning the war in Syria in favour of the Assad regime, which is seen by some as benefiting Hezbollah in Lebanon, not least in its efforts to comprehensively rearm since the 2006 war. |