Israel denies war plane shot down by Syria

Israel has denied claims by the Syrian regime that two of its aircraft were shot down in Syria during an overnight bombing raid.

Israeli war planes launched sortees on regime positions in the Golan Heights after an army outpost was fired on the night before.

The attack led the Syrian regime to claim to its military shot down an Israeli plane and drone during the attack, but this was swiftly rebutted by Tel Aviv.

"Overnight two surface-to-air missiles were launched from Syria after the (Israeli) mission overnight to target Syrian artillery positions," military spokesperson Arye Shalicar said.

"At no point was the safety of (Israeli) aircraft compromised. Nothing true about what they claim."

The Syrian regime claimed to have down the aircraft on Tuesday morning.

"Our air defences blocked the attack and shot down the military aircraft in (the southern province of) Quneitra and a drone" in the province of Damascus, said the statement carried by state news agency SANA.

It accused Israeli forces of supporting "armed terrorist groups" in the country's south. 

The Israeli strike targeted "artillery positions of Syrian Regime in the central Syrian Golan Heights" in response to "a projectile" which on Monday had hit the northern Golan causing no injuries, an army statement said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman told AFP that Monday's projectile was most likely not intentional, rather spillover from "internal fighting in Syria."

The attack came hours after a new US-Russian brokered nationwide ceasefire came into force on Monday evening.

At no point was the safety of (Israeli) aircraft compromised. Nothing true about what they claim. - Arye Shalicar

The initial 48-hour truce does not apply to areas held by extremists such as the Islamic State group or the allegedly al-Qaeda linked Fatah al-Sham.

The Israeli army holds the Syrian regime accountable for any fire from its territory, regardless of its source.

Israeli warplanes have conducted several air raids on Syrian army positions over the past weeks after stray shells hit the Israeli-occupied areas of the Golan Heights.

Syria and Israel have been at a state of war for decades. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in 1981 in a move that has not been recognised by the international community.

Agencies contributed to this report.