Israel says it retaliated against shots fired from Syria at military drone

Israel retaliated against shots from fired Syria at a surveillance drone, the Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday.

"IDF Machine Gun fire was directed towards the originating area of the shots in Syria," a statement from the military said. "The drone successfully completed its mission and no damage was caused."

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks against what it has described as Iran-linked targets in the country, as well as affiliates of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Tehran's influence has grown in Syria since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad's regime in the civil war that began in 2011 sending over thousands of fighters and providing economic assistance.

Iran says its officers serve in an advisory role in Syria at the invitation of the regime while activist groups have accused Tehran's forces of committing major rights abuses and killing civilians.

Dozens of Revolutionary Guards members including senior officers have been killed in Syria during the war.

(Reuters)