Syrian forces fire at Israeli jets

Israeli military jets have been targeted by anti-aircraft missiles in Syria in an incident that has broken the silence over Israel’s operations in Syria.

In one of the most serious events to take place between the two countries the Israeli army said they carried out strikes in Syria overnight and Syrian forces retaliated by firing a number of missiles towards Israeli jets.

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A statement released by Israel said: “Overnight, March 17, IAF aircrafts [sic] targeted several targets in Syria. Several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria following the mission and the IDF aerial defence systems intercepted one of the missiles. At no point was the safety of Israeli civilians or the IAF aircraft compromised.”

The Guardian describes the statement as confirmation of the “open secret” that Israeli jets have been targeting weapons convoys destined for the Lebanese group Hezbollah and raiding warehouses and convoys transporting arms to the group in Lebanon.

In 2006, Hezbollah fought a war with Israel and are currently allies of Bashar Al-Assad. Until now Israel has acted with relative impunity in Syria and have not made any official comments on their actions in the country.