A Syrian surface-to-air missile (SAM) SA-5 battery fired a missile at Israeli Air Force planes on a routine reconnaissance flight over Southern Lebanon on Monday. The IAF responded by dropping four bombs on the site 30 miles east of Damascus two hours later, rendering it “unoperational”.
No Israeli casualties were reported, and no IAF planes were damaged.
Earlier today,an anti-aircraft missile was launched from Syria towards IDF aircraft during a routine flight over Lebanon. No hits confirmed
— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) October 16, 2017
““We know according to our intelligence it was a battery controlled by the Syrian regime. We hold the Syrian regime responsible for the anti-aircraft fire and any attack originating from Syria,” said IDF spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus.
The IDF added that it views the IAF response as an isolated incident following the Syrian provocation and that Israel is not seeking to escalate tensions with the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad. According to Conricus, the Syrian battery targeted on Monday had carried out a previous attack against Israeli planes in March.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was due to begin a visit to Israel later on Monday. Conricus said the Israeli military informed Russia of its Syria strike “in real time or immediately before” it took place and would brief Shoigu.
There was no immediate response from the Syrian government.
