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ISRAELI WARPLANES HAVE struck several targets in Syria, prompting retaliatory missiles launches, in the most serious incident between the two countries since the Syrian civil war began six years ago.
Syria’s military said it had downed an Israeli plane and hit another as they were carrying out pre-dawn strikes near the famed desert city of Palmyra that it recaptured from jihadists this month.
“Our air defence engaged them and shot down one warplane over occupied territory, hit another one, and forced the rest to flee,” the army said in a statement carried by state news agency SANA.
The Israeli army denied any planes had been struck and the Syrian government has made similar unfounded claims in the past.
“(Our) aircraft was at no point compromised,” army spokesman Peter Lerner said.
The Israeli air force said earlier that it had carried out several strikes on Syria overnight, but that none of the ground-to-air missiles fired by Syrian forces in response had hit Israeli aircraft.
It was an unusual confirmation by the Jewish state of air raids inside Syria.
“Overnight… aircraft targeted several targets in Syria,” an Israeli army statement said.
“Several anti-aircraft missiles were launched from Syria following the mission and (army) aerial defence systems intercepted one of the missiles.”
None of the missiles fired from Syria hit their targets, the army added.
One missile was intercepted north of Jerusalem by Israel’s Arrow air defence system, Israeli media reported.
Both Israeli and foreign media have reported a number of Israeli air strikes inside Syria targeting arms convoys of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which fought a devastating 2006 war with Israel and is now fighting alongside the Damascus regime.
Israel does not usually confirm or deny each raid but may have been led to do so this time by the circumstances of the incident.
The missile fire prompted air raid sirens to go off in the Jordan Valley during the night, the Israeli army said.
In April 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel had attacked dozens of convoys transporting weapons in Syria destined for Hezbollah.
Israel and Syria are still technically at war, though the border had remained largely quiet for decades until 2011 when the Syrian conflict broke out.
Iranian-backed Hezbollah has been fighting inside Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad against the rebels.
While Israel has largely avoided getting sucked into the conflict directly, it has repeatedly struck Syrian territory, particularly targeting alleged Hezbollah weapons convoys.
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Extremely misleading headline. Israeli planes struck inside Syria and Syria fired its air defense system at them.
Even Israeli websites are reporting it as such.
@The Risen: True, the headline should read ” Israeli aircraft attack terrorist convoy.
@The Risen:
Getting comical isn’t it, the level of propaganda speak from media? (AFP in this case)
Israel attacks Syrian forces, well inside Syria, and the angle is Syria attacking Israel…
As for Israel being ‘dragged in’.. that’s another joke. Israel has been very involved in this whole program to oust Assad and Balkanise Syria, from the beginning. With Israel intending to make permanent its illegal grab of Syrian territory adding to the oil and gas rich Syrian Golan Heights it took by force in ’67.
As ever, we see the usual mainstream media propaganda on foreign policy issues.
If we have no media prepared to tell the truth on foreign issues, how will the world ever achieve peace?
@Mike Hall: there should be a new rule about mentioning MSM in your argument. Once you say MSM you automatically lose the argument. Similar to the Nazi/Hitler rule – Godwin’s law.
@Mike Hall: Its almost as if the Syrians didnt accept the return of the Golan Heights in exchange for a lasting peace treaty.
Israel helping ISIS? A bit strange?
Or Israeli terroristsl aircraft invade Syria AGAIN
@Feynmansays; yes let just pretend that the MSM are telling us the truth and have no political/ economic agenda behind this frenzy of slanted and outright fake news. Oh also while sticking our heads in buckets if sand we most definitely should not be looking at the ownership of these media organisations or their blatant bias and agendi!!!!
It’s not that strange. Israel might well want Hizbollah to eventual defeat ISIS but they don’t want them coming out of the conflict battle hardened and feeling confident. They want them degraded and unable for another fight any time soon
@Mike Hall:
Fair play to Syria they have every right to defend thier territory. Israel violates Lebanese Airspace and then Syrias is an act of war. Just who do you think you are ?
@Johnnathan Biskalero: I am no supporter of Israel, but this seems to be in connection with a Syrian missile fired at Israel… No-one involved can reasonably claim that it was a straightforward defence situation.
“Israel has shot down a Syrian missile using its most advanced anti-missile system for the first time, Israeli media say.
A surface-to-air missile (SAM) was intercepted using the Arrow system, designed to stop long-range ballistic missiles, reports say.
And in a rare admission, Israel said it had targeted several sites in Syria.”
@Johnnathan Biskalero:
But aren’t Israel defending their territory too, by getting in a pre-emptive strike to destroy weapons that were destined to be used against them?
@Avina Laaf: Of course they are. Certain commenters here would be happier if Israel sat quietly whilst their sworn enemies tool up for the next big attack.
@Avina Laaf: a strike on what in a sovereign country ? You say arms dumps I say bull wash…..we are both entitled to iur opinions. Israel attacked a Sovereign nation this morning to buts about it. Syria has every right to fire back.
@Johnnathan Biskalero: Syria fired first.
Who could blame Israel? The jihadists of all persuasions would love another crack at Israel. Once the current mayhem settles down theyll focus on Israel again. Best to stamp a spark before it becomes a flame.
@Honeybadger197: “Who could blame Israel?”
For unlawfully entering another countries airspace and firing missiles?
International law, I would imagine.
@The Risen: I wonder would international law have prevented the munitions they destroyed being fired at Israel? My guess is it wouldnt. So i reiterate, who could blame Israel?
@The Risen: a preemptive strike against terrorists whose aim is to destroy Israel. Israel did right.
@Honeybadger197: how do you know Israel is telling the truth ? The Syrians know Israel are supporting ISIS…..and Journal please change the headline it is totally arse ways…
@Honeybadger197: who said it was going to be used against Israel?
@the risen
I know!! what were they thinking bombing Bashar Al Assad and his pals. He’s a pillar of the Syrian community with a big heart for his people and his countrymen.
Solidarity with Bashar as Wally Willy Mooney would say if he heard about this
Lads, as someone who has been following the conflict in Syria since the start of the arab spring i.e. before there even was a conflict, I find your ignorance comical.
@the risen
As a follower of your comments since this morning I find your bias disturbing
@Alan Brogan: a premptive strike against Israel who want to destroy Syria…..
@The Risen: legally Syria is at war with Israel, so keep trying.
@The Risen:
Syria attacked Israel first – in 1967. Just because Hezbollah is fighting ISIS it doesn’t mean that Hezbollah is innocent. Furthermore, Syria hosted Nazi fugitives, e.g. Alois Brunner.
@Ciarán Masterson: The 1967 war began with israel striking egypt.
@The Risen: Correct but ask yourself why? A necessary preemptive strike that enabled Israel to defeat and push back several arab armies. In terms of shock victories this must rank amongst the best. Remember when Nasser booted the UN out of the Sinai and then masses 10s of thousands of troops and invited other nations armoured divisions to get in on the act. By taking out the Egyptian airforce Israel gave itself a fighting chance. Their foes were there to annihilate Israel.
@Honeybadger197: Cheers for admitting that israel drew first blood and started the 1967 war. A ‘preemptive strike’ in a foreign country is still an act of war.
@The Risen: No problem. Just glad they had the sense to. Still, any nation facing extinction is going to put up a hell of a fight. They did themselves proud. Would you have been happier if Israel waited and lost?
@The Risen: Actually the Egyptians blockaded the straights of Tiran, which was in contravention of maritime law and was a red line issue for Israel.
Israel don’t exist FREE PALESTINE
@John Fitzpatrick: if they’re free can I have one please?
@John Fitzpatrick: Israel does exist. They won multiple wars in the Middle East to cement their sovereignty when their neighbours tried and failed multiple times to wipe the state of Israel off the map. Like them or not, they’ve fought hard and earned their right to statehood.
@John Fitzpatrick:
We’re all Hezbollah now eh John?
(as they say on the Irish Times)
@Jason Culligan: Fought hard ?, By which you mean manipulated world affairs, media and events to keep themselves relevant, while perpetrating the most heinous crimes against the Palestinian people and humanity, ignored any calls from international body’s to stop the pillage and plundering of Palestine. Yeah, that’s real brave of them. Their parasites and nothing more.
@John Fitzpatrick: Indeed.
Great, just want the world needs now. Israel dragged in.
@FeynmanSays: Can’t believe I got the first comment in. It’s all downhill from here.
@FeynmanSays: dragged in? By who? Israel!
@FeynmanSays: Israel wasn’t dragged in. It jumped in and attacked the territory of Syria
@Paul
They just got up yesterday morning and said hey let’s bomb Syria !! Emmmm
Rose tinted glasses !!
@Andrew
Dragged in by terrorist attacks fro Syria ??
“Dragged in” meaning “getting involved”. Wasn’t making a comment about who was at fault one way or the other. Just making the point that Israel is a major military power in the region with plenty of enemies… them getting involved is like tossing fuel on the fire.
@FeynmanSays: It’s a complex one but Israel are already in. In general, the position is that they are not involved in the Syrian conflict but specifically against Hezbollah.
@Duncan: Israel said they bombed Syria this morning….what more clarification do you need ?
@Jonathon
Yes as I said earlier. Israeli forces just woke this morning and decided to attack the innocent Al Assad forces. They should just leave him to gas and murder his own people.
What were the Israelis thinking ??
Israel was targeting shipments of weapons intended to reach Hezbollah in Lebanon.
@Emmet O’Keeffe: and who told you this ? Israel….enough said.
No Jonathan I think Assad was on Facebook this morning telling everyone
Journal the headline is mis-leading to the public please correct it.
A Syrian civil war? Pull the other one.
Jehadi
Isis
Israeli
Russian
American
Turkish
English
Hezbollah
I’m sure there are a few others.
This is an Arms sale and you get to test them on civilians after you buy.
It makes the Natzis look like samaritans.
I would love to see who actually owns the arms factories who are supplying this slaughter and how much profit they have made in the last 6 years.
It’s scary to think that this type of destruction can happen in any modern society.
As humans we should be ashamed of ourselves.
In order to gain an understanding of what is happening in Syria, this is a must read. :
Why the Arabs don’t want us in Syria.
“They don’t hate ‘our freedoms.’ They hate that we’ve betrayed our ideals in their own countries — for oil.
By
ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR
In part because my father was murdered by an Arab, I’ve made an effort to understand the impact of U.S. policy in the Mideast and particularly the factors that sometimes motivate bloodthirsty responses from the Islamic world against our country. As we focus on the rise of the Islamic State and search for the source of the savagery that took so many innocent lives in Paris and San Bernardino, we might want to look beyond the convenient explanations of religion and ideology. Instead we should examine the more complex rationales of history and oil — and how they often point the finger of blame back at our own shores.”
http://www.politico.eu/article/why-the-arabs-dont-want-us-in-syria-mideast-conflict-oil-intervention/
I’m pretty sure Israel will never allow peace between itself and and Syria so they will be able to keep the Golan Heights. I know they have problems with terrorists and all that but it seems their no.1 priority is territory. They will wage a perpetual war on terror and their neighbors to keep land.
@Mike: Do you honestly think the people of the Golan Heights want to be part of Syria again….Most people there are Druse not Palestinian Druse are allies of Israel….As for giving back territory Saini has gone back to Egypt and pulled out of Gaza in 2005… Israel is only the size of Munster after all not very big …..
@Mike: Silly comment Mike. You obviously know that Israel used territory it gained as a leverage for peace. Syria were offered the Golan Heights back in exchange for peace. They turned down the offer.
@John003: I know where i’d rather live and it’s Israeli territory for sure. I just think that when it comes to territory they will do anything for it. I’m actually pro Israel for the most part. I just wish they’d take pace where possible and lose land they have a tenuous claim on.
@Honeybadger197: I don’t think it’s fair to say that Israel simply offered the Golan Heights back for peace. There were other issues at play. As it stands now Netanyahu has said the Israel will never come down off the Heights. They are putting territory first. They have water issues and everything else to worry about. It’s self interest and a hunger for land, land, expansion and more settlements.
@Mike: You might remember that for almost 20 years prior to ’67, the Syrians shelled civilians, and provoked Israel from the Golan. Israel asked the Syrians to rein it in, to stop fatah attacks etc but were told that Syria would only support and supply such attacks. Israel asked the international community to intervene and were ignored. They offered the Golan to Syria in return for ending support fir hezbollah and were ignored more recently. If Israel now decides ‘ fine, we’ll keep it so’, its a little late for Syria to get precious about it. Given the plans of hezbollah in Lebanon with the support of Syria and Iran, it makes sense to maintain and indeed concentrate military strength there now. If you want peace, prepare for war.
@Mike: “I’m actually pro Israel for the most part. I just wish they’d take pace where possible and lose land they have a tenuous claim on.”
Sweet Jaysus!
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