Israel 'fires patriot missiles at drone from Syria'

Israel's military on Sunday fired two Patriot missiles at a drone that "infiltrated" from war-ravaged neighbouring Syria

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

18 July, 2016

Several parties in the region, including Hizballah and Hamas, are known to operate drones [Getty]

Israel's military on Sunday fired two Patriot missiles at a drone that "infiltrated" from war-ravaged neighbouring Syria, it said.

The missiles missed the drone which "returned to Syria" after the incident in the central Golan Heights, where the demarcation line between the two countries is located, the military said.

"Moments ago two Patriot air defence missiles were fired towards a drone which infiltrated Israeli airspace from Syria," the military said in a statement on Sunday evening.

Sirens sounded in the area.

While Israel has sought to avoid being dragged into Syria's five-year civil war, it has attacked Syrian military targets when fire from the conflict spills over into its territory.

Earlier this month, the Israeli army attacked two Syrian military targets on the Golan after stray fire damaged the security fence along the line.

In September 2014, Israel used a Patriot missile to shoot down a Syrian warplane it said had crossed the UN-patrolled ceasefire line on the Golan which it regards as its international border.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also acknowledged in April that Israel had attacked dozens of convoys transporting weapons in Syria destined for its enemy Hizballah, the Lebanese Shia militia.

Israel seized 1,200 square kilometres (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.