Israel shoots down Syrian fighter jet that entered Israeli airspace

The Israeli military shot down a Syrian fighter jet that entered Israeli airspace on Tuesday afternoon, raising fears of further military escalation in the region. The Sukhoi jet entered two kilometers into Israeli airspace when two Patriot missiles were launched to intercept the aircraft, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

The fighter jet was being monitored by Israel during its flight. In the statement, the IDF said it had observed an increase in internal fighting in Syria adjacent to Israel, including increased activity from Syria’s air force. This is the first time since 2014 that Israel has shot down a Syrian plane. READ MORE