Israel F-16 Down (Syria)
Channel: Q&A News
Date: 2018-02-10

On Saturday the 10th of February 2018, An Israeli F-16 fighter jet has crashed after the crew ejected amid Syrian anti-aircraft fire, this occured during an offensive against suspected Iranian targets in Damascus, Syria.

In a major flare up on Israel’s northern border, Israel carried out a large-scale attack against Syrian air defenses & Iranian targets in the war-torn country after an Israeli F-16 crashed during operations to strike Iranian targets in Syria early Saturday morning.

The operation, which was carried out by eight Israeli jets, struck 12 targets in Syria including thee Syrians SA5 & SA17 air defense batteries & four Iranian targets near the town of Kiswah, which is home to Syria’s 1st armored division & part of the Islamic Republic’s buildup in Syria.

The Israeli attack was met with anti-aircraft fire, triggering air raid sirens in the Golan Heights & upper Galilee, warning residents of potential rocket strikes.

According to IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Ronen Manelis, several missiles hit open areas in northern Israel.

The two pilots ejected & parachuted to safety after the crash in northern Israel. They were taken to Rambam hospital in Haifa, both are in a stable condition, one of the pilots was severely wounded while the other one was slightly injured.

Israel said its aircraft, an F-16 jet, was carrying out strikes in response to the launch of an Iranian drone into Israel, the drone was intercepted.

Syria opened fire after an Israeli act of "aggression", state media said.

"A combat helicopter successfully intercepted an Iranian UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] that was launched from Syria & infiltrated Israel," the Israeli military said in a statement.

The statement added that the drone was identified quickly & was "under surveillance until the interception".

"In response, the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] targeted Iranian targets in Syria," the military said.

Red alert sirens sounded in areas of northern Israel & the Golan Heights due to Syrian anti-aircraft fire.

Residents reported hearing a number of explosions & heavy aerial activity in the area near Israel's borders with Jordan & Syria.

Syrian state media quoted a military source as saying that the country's air defences opened fire in response to an Israeli act of "aggression" against a military base on Saturday, hitting "more than one plane".

Israeli strikes in Syria are not unusual, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Tom Bateman says. But he adds that the downing of an Israeli fighter jet marks one of the most serious escalations yet.

"The IDF will continue to operate against attempts to infiltrate Israeli airspace & will act with determination to prevent any violations of Israel's sovereignty," read a statement by the IDF’s Spokesperson’s Unit. 

- Israel shot down Iranian drone near Golan Heights.

- Israel struck Iranian targets in Syria.

- Israeli F-16 jet downed in northern Israel from firing inside Syria, two pilots ejected safely.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry denied the drone had strayed into Israeli airspace & rejected as “ridiculous” reports that Israel had intercepted a drone launched from Syria on Saturday, according to Iranian state TV.

“Reports of downing an Iranian drone flying over Israel & also Iran’s involvement in attacking an Israeli jet are so ridiculous,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi, was quoted as saying, “Iran only provides military advice to Syria.”

Syrian Army officials, however, said the drone had been carrying out a routine mission against the Islamic State — known as ISIS or ISIL — over Syrian airspace, according to the news site Al-Manar. Syria’s Allies Command said in a statement:

“The Command of Syria’s Allies dismissed such claims, stressing that the drone which the Zionist regime was talking about was operating over the Syrian airspace. Our drone took off from Tifur Airport & was carrying out a normal anti-ISIL mission over Syrian Badiyah.”

The statement added, referring to the downing of the Israeli F-16, “We hail the brave retaliation of Damascus.”

The suspected weapon in the footage is S-125 Neva/Pechora (NATO reporting name SA-3 Goa) Soviet surface-to-air missile system.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S-125_Neva/Pechora

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-43014081
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israeli-Air-Force-strikes-Iranian-targets-in-Syria-542191

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