Israel destroys Iranian drone in Syria

Israel shot down an Iranian pilotless drone in Syria yesterday, Reuters reported.

The drone was destroyed by an Israeli Defence Force (IDF) interceptor missile over the Golan Heights demilitarised zone. The zone has separated Israeli and Syrian forces since the ceasefire deal following the 1973 conflict.

“As we understand, it was on a reconnaissance mission along the border and the Golan Heights on behalf of Hezbollah,” Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. “Our intelligence suggests it was … Iranian-made,” Conricus continued.

“Our message is: The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] will not allow any violation of Israeli sovereignty and we will not allow Iranian forces, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad or Shia militias of any kind to approach the Israeli borders,” Conricus said.

It is not verified whether the Iranian drone was armed with missiles.

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Drones have the capability to loiter over a specific territory for a number of days, to spy on movements on the ground often without detection. Armed drones can further execute lethal drone strikes, killing and destroying infrastructure.

Yesterday, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated the threat of Iran at the United Nations General Assembly saying: “Iran is conducting a campaign of conquest across the Middle East, and Iran is developing ballistic missiles to threaten the entire world.”