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Israel 'shoots down' Syrian fighter near Golan Heights Israel 'shoots down' Syrian fighter near Golan Heights
(about 1 hour later)
Israel has shot down a Syrian warplane which crossed into its airspace, the Israeli military says. Israel says it has shot down a Syrian warplane which entered its airspace - a rare incident between the two foes.
Two surface-to-air missiles were fired at the Sukhoi fighter jet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted.Two surface-to-air missiles were fired at the Sukhoi fighter jet, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted.
According to Israeli reports, it happened over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Unconfirmed reports say that a pilot was killed. According to Israeli reports, it happened over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The pilot's fate is not clear.
Syrian news agency Sana said Israel had targeted one of its jets over Syrian airspace, but did not say it was hit. Syrian news agency Sana said Israel had targeted the jet over Syrian airspace, but did not say whether it was hit.
The agency quoted a military source as saying the plane was conducting raids against "armed terrorist groups" near the southern Yarmouk Valley. Sana quoted an unnamed military source as saying the plane was conducting raids against "armed terrorist groups" near the southern Yarmouk Valley.
Syria routinely describes rebel groups as terrorists.Syria routinely describes rebel groups as terrorists.
Israel's Haaretz news website said residents in northern Israel saw interceptor missiles fired and heard explosions.Israel's Haaretz news website said residents in northern Israel saw interceptor missiles fired and heard explosions.
Flames and smoke were also later seen rising from the area of the fence between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, AFP news agency reports.Flames and smoke were also later seen rising from the area of the fence between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, AFP news agency reports.
Hotting up
By Tom Bateman, Middle East correspondent, Jerusalem
Today's trails of smoke above the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights are another sign of how Syria's war has agitated the dynamics between old foes in the region.
Israel and Syria fought their last war 45 years ago and later agreed to separate their forces either side of a 50-mile-long buffer zone - a boundary that had remained Israel's quietest since.
But with President Assad's men closing in on jihadist groups on the Syrian side of the zone - and reportedly even posing for photos hundreds of metres from an Israeli observation post - Israel has been ratcheting up its rhetoric.
It is concerned most about the threat it sees from Syria's allies Iran and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, saying it will not tolerate any breach of the buffer zone deal.
But Syria will see the Sukhoi's downing as proof of its belief that Israel has been prepared to help rebel groups to stop the government's advances.
In a statement, the IDF said it was on "high alert" following "an increase in the internal fighting in Syria" and greater activity by Syria's air force in the region.In a statement, the IDF said it was on "high alert" following "an increase in the internal fighting in Syria" and greater activity by Syria's air force in the region.
"The IDF monitored the advance of the fighter jet, which infiltrated about two kilometres (1.25 miles) into Israeli airspace. It was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles." "The IDF monitored the advance of the fighter jet, which infiltrated about 2km (1.25 miles) into Israeli airspace. It was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles," the statement said.
It is reportedly the first time Israel has shot down a manned Syrian aircraft since 2014. An Israeli military spokesman said the plane had crashed "most likely in the southern part of the Syrian Golan Heights". About a third of the Golan Heights is still nominally controlled by Syria.
The incident comes just a day after Israel used its David's Sling missile defence system - used against medium-range missiles - for the first time. Israel considers the occupied Golan Heights, and the airspace above it, as Israeli sovereign territory, though this is not recognised internationally. It has occupied the area since the 1967 Middle East war.
It is reportedly the first time Israel has shot down a manned Syrian aircraft since 2014. Israel is not directly involved in the Syrian war but has attacked drones which have entered its airspace, and carried out dozens of air strikes on Syrian and Iranian military assets in Syria in recent years.
Tuesday's incident comes just a day after Israel deployed its David's Sling missile defence system - designed for use against medium-range missiles - for the first time.
The system was activated "in response to the threat" from two Syrian surface-to-surface missiles approaching Israeli territory, an army statement said.The system was activated "in response to the threat" from two Syrian surface-to-surface missiles approaching Israeli territory, an army statement said.
On Monday, the Syrian government condemned the evacuation by Israel over the weekend of the White Helmets civil defence group from a war zone in the south of the country. Israel has repeatedly warned it will not tolerate any Syrian breach of the 1974 ceasefire agreement which delineated the lines of separation between the two sides' forces on the Golan Heights.
Damascus described the move as a "criminal operation" by "Israel and its tools".
Some 422 volunteers and family members were taken to Jordan via the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
It was feared that they would be persecuted by advancing government forces in southern Syria.