Although the event was not reported by Syria’s official news agency SANA, several Syrian and Israeli news outlets have been reporting that an Israeli drone was downed near the Syrian border with Lebanon.
According to eye-witnesses, Syrian air defenses reportedly shot down the aircraft over Deir al Ashayer, a village near Lebanese border: some people saw debris and buring wreckage fall from the sky whereas, according to The Times of Israel, residents posted on Facebook that the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) was downed by a surface to air missile fired from Syria, even if the drone crashed on the Lebanese side of the border.
Deir al Ashayer is located about 15 miles to the west of Syria’s capital Damascus, hence not far from the complex that was attacked by the Israeli Air Force last month. Furthermore, earlier on Feb. 20, Lebanese government news agency gave the news of intense Israeli combat planes activity over southern Lebanon: most probably, Syrian air defense batteries were on an heightened readiness status for any incoming threat from the border.
In June 2012, a Turkish Air Force RF-4E was downed by a Syrian air defense battery after violating the Syrian airspace.
More from The Aviationist
The Incredible Armada of Aircraft Behind 1969’s Battle of Britain Film
On Sept. 15, 1969, cinema audiences were treated to a dramatic portrayal…
US Approves Possible Sale of Nine KC-46A Pegasus Tankers for Japan
The latest deal would take the number of KC-46As in Japan’s inventory…
U.S. State Department Approves $7.2B Sale Of F-35 Jets To Romania
The Foreign Military Sale’s approval comes after Romania announced the plan to…
Wooden Avengers, Target Kites, and Draftees: How America’s First New Deal Community Took the Fight to the Axis
Situated in the quiet hills of West Virginia, the small town of…
DARPA Awards BAE Systems $4 Million for Autonomous Beyond Visual Range Air Combat Program
Autonomy solutions for BVR combat will initially be developed and demonstrated on…
Image credit: Haaretz
Related articles
